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  • From: "Richard J. Ossolinski" <osso@acadia.net>
  • To: nafex@yahoogroups.com
  • Subject: Re: [nafex] Help
  • Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 13:45:18 -0400

> Ed & Pat Fackler wrote:
> >
> > Richard:
> > Please identify your beneficial predators of WAA.
> > Thanks.
> > Ed

Hi, Ed,
Glad you asked, as I remember your addressing WAA
pretty thoroughly in the past, and I wanted to reread (for my own benefit) and
forward your old posts on this subject to Waite, but was unsuccessful at
retrieving them.
In my own small orchard I rarely see anything working the woollies other than
two different kinds of waspy insects which I've never positively identified.
One is quite small, maybe 3/8-1/2" and the other is close to three times that
size with a very long, skinny posterior and long wings. Also, wherever there
are woollies there always seems to be an abundance of tiny, very fast spiders
(some are gray and some are tan)
that 'jump' at the slightest disturbance, so I've been unable to tell
if they're helping (or exacerbating) the problem. Although there are also
plenty of ladybugs (adults and larvae), lacewings, and the occasional tiny
orange larva (of some fly, I think), all of these seem to prefer the regular
old aphids that feast on new terminal growth. Often there are yellow jackets
and white faced hornets tearing up the 'wool,' but I don't know whether
they're eating aphids or just sucking up honeydew. Regardless of what all
these insects are actually doing when they're 'working' the wool, I see very
few blackened carcasses, compared to the masses I see on the terminals after
the predators have done their thing there; so I'd have to say that here, at
least, whatever predators there are could not be counted on to provide
adequate control of WAA, especially in a year of heavy pressure. As always, I
value your input, Ed, and would love to hear your take on all this but am
reluctant to ask for it because I know you've been through it all before on
this forum. Incidentally (or perhaps not so incidentally) last year I pulled
out a +/- 20 year old tree (don't know the rootstock) that had all kinds of
old borer holes and mower damage, was making almost no new growth and was
definitely in a state of decline. The roots revealed a serious woolly
infestation with lots of galls/nodes. I'd never heard of WAA killing a mature
tree, so I'm guessing that several factors contributed to this tree's
decline/demise; but I'm wondering if I'm in big trouble now, i.e. is it likely
that this subterranean infestation will (has?) spread into the roots of other
trees? And should I be/have been taking a more aggressive approach to even
apparently minor evidence of WAA on twigs and branches? Would the Provado I
plan to use next spring to control leafminer have any effect on WAA? The N.E.
Apple Pest Management Guide recommends Lorsban or Thiodan, but also states
that, "biocontrol plays a key role in keeping populations [of WAA] below pest
status."
Many thanks,
Richard


> "Richard J. Ossolinski" wrote:
>
> > Waite,
> > My guess is that you have wooly apple aphid. We're bombed with it here in
> > Gouldsboro this
> > year, probably because the beneficial predators were so late to show up
> > (negative consequence of thinning with carbaryl?) A bit of WWA here and
> > there usually doesn't warrant major concern, but it can be pretty nasty
> > stuff
> > if it gets down amoung the roots, where it causes the formation of
> > undesireable gall
> > tissue that can cause affected roots to stop functioning, which, in turn,
> > can
> > result in retarded growth, stunting, or even death, especially in young
> > trees.
> > There are several natural predators/parasites, however, and I've read that
> > cover sprays for codling moth can control minor infestations.
> > Good luck.
> > Richard
> >
> >
> > waite8@aol.com wrote:
> > >
> > > This morning I was prunning the water sprouts on my apple trees. On
> > > some of
> > > them I noticed a white foam around some of the joints. When I would rub
> > > it
> > > between my fingers it was wet to the touch, a little slimy and slightly
> > > stifcy. Any idea what it is, and should I worry and eliminate it. If
> > > so, what
> > > is the treatment. Thanks, Waite Maclin, Cushing, Maine
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
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> >
> >
> >
> >
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>
>
>
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