Aphid attack

[fraublugher]

Mountain pine Beetle looks like.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_pine_beetle

 

[fhm555]

Old gardeners trick. Mix a strong batch of Joy dish washing liquid and tap water in a spray bottle. Spray it on the plants/bugs and it not only takes care of bugs, it also gets that black mold crap and most anything else ailing your typical southern house plant.

For other parts of the country YMMV, but it does work here in the south. I use it just about every year for one thing or another and it always delivers.

 

[SolarMan]

Old gardeners trick. Mix a strong batch of Joy dish washing liquid and tap water in a spray bottle. Spray it on the plants/bugs and it not only takes care of bugs, it also gets that black mold crap and most anything else ailing your typical southern house plant.

For other parts of the country YMMV, but it does work here in the south. I use it just about every year for one thing or another and it always delivers.

That is also the best way to take care of Yellow Jacket nests. Soapy water down the hole and bye bye!

 

[Bipslapper]

Is there an arborist in the house?

Why yes, me.

They are aphids and they produce honeydew (their "crap") which is sweet (so I am told, don't know from experience) which attracts bees, hornets and wasps. Incredibly prolific insects. Wingless adult female aphids can produce 50 to 100 offspring. A newly born aphid becomes a reproducing adult within about a week and then can produce up to 5 offspring per day for up to 30 days!

Looks like a Balsam Fir. Thanks for sharing.

 

[FilterFunk]

Are you sure those are aphids , never seen those and ive removed/killed tens of thousands ?

looks like some kind of beatle from here

+1. I'm no expert, but the only aphids I've seen are tiny green things that are smaller than ants. Some of the ones in the picture look like they could be black aphids; the others look like beetles. I guess there are aphid varieties I haven't seen; maybe it's the camera perspective, too.

 

[Tarrbot]

What you need is a hive of Japanese honey bees. These badasses will sort out your hornets.

http://youtu.be/K6m40W1s0Wc

They do this or otherwise this happens... 30 Japanese Hornets vs 30,000 Bees

If they don't cook/kill that scout they will all die very soon.

Very soon.

 

[two fingers]

Regular dish soap, all solutions are temporary.

Cut down all trees and pave the yard. Permanent solution.

Seriously, lady bugs????? That just ain't manly.

No fire or poison = no good solution.
Without risk of injury/death it just isn't any fun!

 

[Bett]

The aphids are most likely a species in the genus Cinara. Black, long legged, and they feed on conifers.

 

[FilterFunk]

The aphids are most likely a species in the genus Cinara. Black, long legged, and they feed on conifers.

Nailed it!

 

[SolarMan]

The aphids are most likely a species in the genus Cinara. Black, long legged, and they feed on conifers.

Wow. That is them.

How do the aphids feed? The tree looks untouched.

These bugs attract so many other bugs...it's like Rock stars and their groupies!

 

[Bett]

They're able to pierce areas of the bark to get at the sap carrying cells underneath. They usually don't do a whole lot of damage to mature trees, but the honeydew they secrete can cause sooty mold to grow and attract all those bees and ants looking for some free sugar.