Author Topic: black insects on our cherry trees. (Read 3418 times)

katog · « **on:** June 07, 2012, 01:41:50 pm »

Shiny sticky black insects covering the leaves of our cherry trees - help please

Mammyshaz · « **Reply #1 on:** June 07, 2012, 02:38:52 pm »

Any chance of a photo, may help. Otherwise it's too vast could be many things.

katog · « **Reply #2 on:** June 07, 2012, 04:36:18 pm »

I'm fairly sure they're aphids without long wings, they don't move much just huddle around in ever increasing crowds under the leaves at the growing tips of the branches. They are 1mm round shiny and squash easily but there's so many, the leaves are curling up.
I tried rubbing them off with a soft cloth in soapy water, I don't want to use chemicals.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #3 on:** June 07, 2012, 05:21:54 pm »

If they are aphids, a spray made with soft soap and sprayed on them every couple of days will work. Squash as many as you can too.

jaykay · « **Reply #4 on:** June 07, 2012, 06:40:04 pm »

Yep, cherry blackfly, Mysus cerasi, which is indeed a shiny black aphid.

Soap or washing up liquid, sprayed, dissolves their outer surface and they dry out and die.