QuestionI have a tree in front of my house that recently started spraying a sticky substance all over my car. Bees & flies were also all around the tree. Now i see lots & lots of flies around the tree. It looks like they are laying eggs under the leaves. I'm not sure which type of tree it is but i live in central easteran NJ. Any ideas?
AnswerSounds like an insect called aphids.
Aphids are small (1/16-1/8 inch long), soft bodied insects commonly called plant lice or ant cows. Virtually every plant has at least one aphid species that attacks it. These small insects are masters of reproduction and are often found in great numbers on stems or leaves. They suck the juices from the plant and excrete a sticky substance called honeydew. Honeydew is high in sugar content. Probably the most common disturbance caused by aphids is their never-ending production of honeydew. This sweet liquid drips onto plant foliage and stems and is soon covered with black sooty mold. Cars, sidewalks, and lawn furniture under trees with aphids are also covered with this sticky fluid. Ants, flies and wasps appreciate the sugary meal and can become a nuisance of their own. Even though plants may look bad from the growth of sooty molds, these fungi do not damage the plant tissues. Once the aphids disappear, the sooty mold often dries up and falls off the plant.
Control the aphids and the honeydew and sooty mold will stop.
Chemical Control - Contact Insecticides Numerous contact insecticides are registered for aphid control. Since aphids are often placed under considerable pesticide pressure in field crops and greenhouses, they may be resistant to certain categories of insecticides. Therefore, if you do not obtain reasonable control, consider rotation to another insecticide. Contact insecticides currently registered for aphid control include: acephate (Orthene), bifenthrin (Talstar), chlorpyrifos (Dursban), diazinon, malathion, nicotine sulfate, pyrethrum, rotenone, resmethrin, and tetramethrin + sumithrin.
Chemical Control - Systemic Insecticides Several systemic insecticides are useful in aphid control. Aphids have sucking mouthparts and are thus very susceptible to pesticides located in the plant vascular system. Some of the systemic insecticides also have contact activity. Systemics injected or applied to the ground are less harmful to beneficial insects. Systemic insecticides include: acephate (Orthene)
Check with your local nursery/garden type store for one of these insecticides. The foliage will have to be completely covered to get good control.
