It is one recognizable fact that trees, indeed, make the environment cooler and more relaxing. This is why more and more homeowners seek Delaware County tree care services or any professional tree care near them in hopes of having healthy trees, better landscapes, and a healthier, fresher, environment.   

Growing trees in your backyard might sound easy, but there are a lot of things that you need to take into consideration, and one of which is an aphid infestation.   

Aphids, commonly known as blackflies and greenflies, are small, only about one-eighth of an inch long, and so they are not fully visible to the naked eyes and can often go unnoticed as they start to infest your trees.   

They are very common pests not just in trees but also in different gardens and landscapes and they commonly feast on sap.   

If you are unsure if your trees are already infected with aphids, read through and we will share with you effective ways to diagnose your trees. Take note of the following:  

  1. Sap below the tree – check the lower parts of the trees especially the area beside the ground that is also near the canopy. If there is sap that you can see, it is more likely that aphids have come to infest these trees. This is because when they feast and start to infest the tree for sap, some saps fall to the ground, making them visible on the soil. However, there are other reasons for this, so it is also important to check other symptoms.   
  1. Black fungi – another symptom you can see in an Aphid-infested tree is black fungi. Saps that are taken out from the branches of the tree make the tree wounded, and this encourages the black fungi to grow in the wounded area of the tree. Fungal spores will occasionally fall on the sap and from there, the black fungi will also start to spread and grow larger in terms of the area it infests.  
  1. Sticky leaves – as mentioned, aphids infest because of the sap in the trees. Now, as they feed on the sap, there will be sap residue that will be left as they move from one place to another. So, check your leaves, and if you find them sticky, this is because of the sap spread by the aphids as they feed and infest your trees.  
  1. Curled leaves – Aphid also chews off the tree’s leaves as they infest and start to multiply and this will cause the leaves to curl. Although there are trees with naturally curled leaves, you need to check yours and diagnose if it is natural or uncommon.   
  1. Galls – aphids lay eggs to populate like other common garden pests. As they reproduce, they also make large growths popularly called galls. Although galls are not harmful to your trees in general, they are a common sign that your trees are infested.   
  1. Yellow spots – although aphids are tiny and almost invisible to the eyes, they are apparent when there are many of them. And commonly, aphids are yellowish so when you notice yellow things on your trees, they are more likely aphids.