Aphids are small, soft-bodied, pear-shaped insects with two tubes projecting from their abdomen. Aphids feed in colonies. The most common in the Monroe County area is the evergreen aphid. Aphids can attack fruit trees and ornamental plants. Aphids feeding on these trees will cause the leaf to curl and become deformed. Heavy aphid infestations can seriously weaken trees and should be treated as soon as they are identified.

In the spring young sawflies strip the needles from pine trees. The young larvae are dark green and difficult to see. However the damage they can do to your plants is enormous! Commonly affected trees include Scotch, Austrian and Mugo pine. A sign of sawfly damage is noticeable as pine needles begin to look like slender brown straw. Damage can seriously weaken the trees and should be treated immediately.

Tentworms are insects that begin their lives in a small brown egg mass on the branch of a tree. When these 300 or so tentworms hatch they travel to a crotch where they quickly spin an unsightly web as shown above.

Tentworms should be treated as soon as possible because they can spread exponentially from one season to the next. Since they hatch in early spring when the leaves begin to break the buds, a well-timed spray in May will eliminate these pests before they begin their damage.

Spider mites are one of the more difficult groups of landscape pests to control. Infestations are easiest to control when detected early, before the mite populations have reached very high levels. Two spotted spider mite infestations can often be traced to the purchase of infested plant material, like bedding and houseplants. When buying new plants, it pays to inspect the lower leaf surfaces for evidence of mites. Elimination of moderate to heavy infestations usually requires the use of specific pesticides known as miticides.