We often discuss the insects that are common pests here in the Kansas City area on the Cartwright Tree Care blog. It’s important to know about these insects, as they can cause damage to your trees. Today we are going to talk about one of the plant sucking insects that are common in our area – aphids.
Aphids are insects with soft bodies that feed off of your trees by piercing into the leaves, stems, and twigs and sucking the plant sap out of them. When they take in more sap than they can use, the excess is secreted as honeydew, which is a sticky by-product that is essentially sugar and water, according to the Washington State University Cooperative Extension. Honeydew isn’t necessarily harmful to your trees, but it can attract other insects and sometimes a mold called sooty mold grows on it.
The Washington State University Cooperative notes that there are many types of aphids in a variety of colors, including green, white, yellow, brown, black, gray, pink, purple, and even red, which can make identifying this insect rather challenging. However, they tend to appear in groups in areas like the underside of leaves so that should make them easier to spot if you suspect they have infested a tree in your yard. You’ll also want to look for symptoms such as leaf discoloration, wilting stems and leaves, and premature leaf drop, as these are common symptoms of plant sucking insects.
Cartwright Tree Care can help you identify whether or not aphids are attacking the trees in your yard. Contact our tree health care experts for assistance with all of your tree care needs.
Photo credit: Missouri Botanical Garden’s Kemper Center