The information and recommendations in this newsletter are applicable to North Carolina and may not apply in other areas.
The information and recommendations in this newsletter are applicable to North Carolina and may not apply in other areas.
From: Steve Bambara, Extension Entomologist
Several reports of white pine aphid have been received recently. It would appear that the weather is just warm enough for the aphids, but too cool for the parasites and predators. In cold weather, the predators and parasites are less active. Aphid populations often increase dramatically because they reproduce parthenogenetically and because they migrate into new areas from time to time leaving the predators behind.
White pine aphids are often numerous in the fall and abundant throughout late winter and early spring. However, at upper elevations, these aphids overwinter as eggs. The eggs hatch very early in the spring and the aphids become very abundant in early spring. (There is additional information on the white pine aphid in AG-189, Insect and Related Pests of Shrubs, an North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service publication that should be in your office.) Outdoors in warm weather, parasitic wasps, lady beetles, syrphid fly maggots, lace wings and other predaceous insects feed on aphids so that aphid populations often decrease rapidly as well. Aphid populations are sometimes devastated by Verticillium lecanii, a fungus which infects aphids in damp weather. In your office are insect notes on aphid control and sooty molds (Ornamentals and Turf Insect Note 38 and 41). Soaps and oils are labeled for aphid control in the landscape. There is some advantage to using oils as they are reported to help disperse sooty molds more quickly than any other pesticide (also they are relatively safe for humans). In cool weather, the insects can sometimes metabolize other pesticides before the pesticides have a chance to kill the aphids. Ornamentals and Turf Insect Information Note 38 on gives a little more information on aphids and their control.
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Last modified on January 28, 2002 by Stephen J. Toth, Jr.