I'm going to kill 'em, but should I be worried? As near as I can tell there's only the one tree affected. The older trees are clear, as are my five-needle pines.
Are you sure they aren't spiders? Looks like it to me, though the pics don't quite have enough resolution to be certain.
My eye resolution isn't that good either, but I thought I saw a hint of wings. There are definitely ants skittering about on the branches. I'm not sure what they are doing, but they are certainly busy. I need to: 1) get a better camera, 2) take a sample to the forestry office in town.
Google agrees. (Their photos are so much better than mine.) Thank you for the lead. From what I understand, these aphids are not exactly benign, but not especially dangerous either. A cursory look at the yard found 4 trees infested, all under 4' tall, all indigenous lodgepole pines. My five needle pines, ranging in size from 8" to 6' are so far unaffected. Do you think I have to worry about them?
No real need to worry. You can always wash a lot of them off with a high pressure water spray, better that than using any insecticides which would also risk killing off their natural predators (and so allow them to increase to an even higher population than before).
Thanks Michael. If they'd turned out to be something like bark beetles I'd have burned the trees. Water spray leaves me wondering about where they'd go. The nearest big tree is about 10 feet away, the nearest five-needle about 20. I took a sample in to the forest entomologist this afternoon. It'll be interesting to hear what she has to say. I had the impression that they'd had enquiries from in town too.
Into the long grass, too far away to find their way home (they don't have wings), so most will die or be eaten.
