QuestionI have a Burch tree it has some kind of spots on the leaves and is acting like it is dying only on 1 limb. Is there anything we can do to stop this. I have another Burch but it is doing great. I do have a lot of ants this year, could that be causing any kind of problem?
Thanks Patricia
AnswerI would not worry about one limb dying. If the foliage on the other limbs is green and looks healthy the tree is ok. The ants on the tree are "farming' the aphids. Aphids suck the plant juices for the tree and produce a substance called honeydew which is high in sugar content and the ants harvest this so they protect the aphids (farming). A sign that the aphids are increasing in population is the presence of sticky sap "raining down " from the tree. Aphids can be controlled on a large tree but it would take spraying the tree which can get expensive. On large trees this time of the year the aphids may cause the tree to drop its leaves a little sooner than normal but will not harm the overall health of the tree.
