Grow well with Claire Mummery: overcoming woolly aphids

A woolly aphid-free healthy apple tree.

Did you know that there are more than 4000 types of aphids worldwide? The woolly aphid is just one of these, but they seem to be everywhere right now, so let's look at how to handle them without toxic pesticides.

What do I look for and where will I find them in my garden?

The aptly named woolly aphids are fluffy white little things, and often look like blobs on your trees. They typically gather on older trees or those that have suffered stress from lack of food, water or sunlight.

While especially partial to apples and pears, you can find woolly aphids among most fruit trees in the garden. They lay eggs into cracks, ultimately forming bubbles in young wood. Cut the bubble open to reveal thousands of eggs inside! Beware, as this wood can split to form cankers on your trees.

Woolly aphids, Eriosomatinae, are a blight to fruit trees.

What damage do woolly aphids cause my trees?

Aphids are renowned for their power to suck the life out of your plants. As they feed, they weaken and destroy plants, while also spreading disease. They secrete honeydew, which in turn attracts ants and wasps, who feed on this sugary substance and sooty mould often grows on the honeydew.

As the seasons shift to autumn, woolly aphids head south into the tree roots where they can create utter carnage, becoming near impossible to treat or even observe. Most of the infestation becomes unseen and can cost you your tree.

How can I get rid of woolly aphids without pesticides?

When you spot woolly aphids, it is tempting to try to squash them with your fingers or a stick, but they tend to reappear in a week or two. Here are seven tricks to keep the aphids away the natural way.

1. Spray with organic treatments including EnSpray 99 and Pyrethrum. However, in organic gardening, we always try to prevent rather than treat – utilising the magic of biodiversity to create a harmonious garden that takes care of pests in its own way.

2. Plant nasturtiums in your garden, well away from your fruit trees. Woolly aphids will infest these plants instead, saving your trees. Make sure you carefully remove the sacrificial nasturtiums once dead, to avoid further spread.

3. A barrier of marigolds around or nearby your trees will repel woolly aphids with their fragrance over summer.

4. You can also plant onions, garlic and chives in your garden to help repel aphids.

5. Attract beneficial insects that will eat up thousands of aphids a day for you, by planting alyssum and borage.

6. The best preventative is to maintain optimal health of your tree – mulch around the outside to ensure good water retention through the summer, and keep your soil well fed.

7. If you're buying a new tree this season, inspect it thoroughly before purchase to make sure you're not bringing pests or disease into your garden, before you even start!

Good luck and happy gardening.

Find out more about Claire Mummery's Grow Inspired Academy at growinspiredacademy.com or follow her on Facebook @growinspiredwithclairemummery or Instagram @grow.inspired.