Woolly beech aphid belongs to the family Aphididae in the Order Hemiptera. Wooly Beech Aphids are host-specific, and they feed on the undersides of the tender leaves of the beech tree that causing them to curl down from both sides of the midrib and look like a fabricated gall. The damages may prevail even if a few aphids are present on the leaf. Wooly Beech aphids are densely covered with wax. However, newly molted aphids may be without wax, and the adults develop long tendrils of wax over their bodies. The wax covering saves aphids from environmental extremes, diseases, and predators. Moreover, ants may feed on the honeydew secreted by the aphids that could develop black sooty mold on the host plants. Wooly Beech Aphids can cause heavy defoliation across many beech varieties including, Fastigiata, Roseo-Marginata, Asplenifolia, and Purpurea, irrespective of the climate throughout the US.
Wooly Beech Aphids hail from the wide ranges of Europe, Caucasus, and East of Turkey and are distributed in large areas of Korea and China. Most recently, their introduction to Australia and New Zealand is also reported. Wooly Beech Aphids are also present in beech growing regions of North America and their frequency is also building up in eastern and western North America in the areas wherever the beech is a common landscape plant.
The body of an adult Wooly Beech Aphid may be bluish-green that can reach up to 3mm in length. A few of them may have distinct dark banding on the abdomen, and antennae remain somewhat shorter than the body length. Both wingless and winged individuals make up the colony, and together they secrete white waxy threads that make them look like wool. Adult covers them with such waxy coatings whereas, the wax secretion stops when the insects move from one instar to upwards. Moreover, after completing the molting process, newly molted larvae regain their ability to secrete wax. They also resemble mealybugs in appearance that sometimes leads to their misidentification. Wooly Beech Aphids overwinter on tender shoots and twigs of the beech tree as eggs.
The overwintered eggs hatch between early to mid-spring, most often before beech budburst, and the newly hatched nymphs look active in searching for feeding resources which they find on tender growth. The highest mortality rate is observed in the first generation, and the later generations acclimatize themselves with the temperature. The nurseries where beech is raised may have almost ten generations in a growing season. Winged generations are mostly found during the summer months whereas, nymphs can take several months to develop. In early fall, the aphids move on tree twigs and branches where they lay many fertilized eggs that overwinter until next spring.
The woolly beech aphids use piercing mouthparts to suck sap from the tendrils and new growth. The smaller aphid population has nothing to do with beech tree foliage however, exceeding the number of individual aphids could retard photosynthesis as the smaller leaves and tendrils are covered with wax that stops sunlight abruption. Honeydew invites several leaf diseases, wasps, yellow jackets, ants, and molds that together destroy the aesthetic appearance of the beech tree foliage.
Wooly beech aphids may be present on nursery-raised stock throughout the summer. However, their activity peaks when the surface temperature reaches 68°F. It's the right time when the gardeners may find population trigger otherwise, the temperature exceeding this limit could retard their growth, or they are born deformed that can't survive. Generally, they hatch from the eggs that were abundantly deposited in bark crevices. Usually, the highest summer temperatures take nymphs into 4th Instars at the end of summer or early fall.
Besides following all preventive measures if Wooly Beech Aphid infestations go beyond your control, here are the most authentic ways to keep their population suppressed using the biological, organic, and chemical methodologies;
Typically, this species of Green Lacewings is Chrysoperla rufilabris which are also called red-lipped lacewings. They are also unique predators, especially for all types of aphids in the Aphididae family, and feed on more than 600 woolly beech aphids throughout the summer. However, when woolly beech aphids become sluggish due to rising temperatures, they go after them even in dry conditions. Release Green Lacewings in the garden when they start moving inside the pack. Green Lacewing can be released in the garden with Ladybug and Praying Mantis. 1000-Green Lacewings are enough for a 500 square feet nursery that maintains beech trees, and 2500 square feet when beech trees grow in a landscape.
The eggs usually hatch in 5-days, and they need releasing them in the garden immediately.
Ladybugs are also an exceptional class of predatory insects that feed on many species of sucking, crawling, sucking, biting, and chewing pests that damage most garden plants, including vegetables and fruits. Ladybugs feed on the entire Aphididae family of insects, including woolly beech aphids besides, controlling most slow-moving insects like thrips, mealybugs, and leaf miners. Moreover, they can be stored for up to 3-weeks in the temperature ranges of 40 to 60°F. Ladybugs are convergent beetles that start reproducing after releasing them in the garden provided the environment holds sufficient moisture and a good feeding source. Releasing them when the aphids are actively damaging beech foliage remains more beneficial.
One pack of Ladybugs contains 1500 Live beetles that could effectively cover 1000 square feet of the garden area.
Spraying the rubbing alcohol on plants' foliage kills slow-moving, soft-bodied insects that either suck sap or boreholes in the leaves. It is highly effective in killing the entire aphids' species, scale insects, whiteflies, and red spider mites without harming foliage. Also, it doesn’t contain any residual effect since the alcohol derives from the botanical source. The best practice is to test the solution on a few leaves of the plant and wait for one day to watch any stress before proceeding with the rest of the solution.
Mix one part of rubbing alcohol with 4 to 5 parts water to make it a spray-able solution, and apply it on the foliage thoroughly.
The Garden Insect Spray contains 1% Pyrethrins as an active ingredient and 10% Piperonyl Butoxide as an efficacy enhancer and for sticking the spray solution on the surfaces of the leaves. Their toxicity is too low compared to systemic insecticides, and breakdown occurs when exposed to field conditions. Since the Beech tree is an outdoor ornamental plant, it can be applied to its foliage. The Pyrethrins is also a strong contender when organic pest control measure is a priority. It is safe for outdoor gardens on all edible plants, besides beech trees for controlling Woolly beech aphids.
Add 1.5 ounces of the product per one gallon of water and target the plants' foliage infested with woolly beech aphids.
Bug-B-Gon is 0.5% Acetamiprid, a systemic insecticide that is least toxic than the rest of the products available in the market. Acetamiprid application on ornamentals, roses, ornamentals, and turf grasses are allowed in many states. However, the gardeners are advised to check local extension department and EPA regulations before purchase. Acetamiprid kills insects on direct contact also through ingestion since it penetrates the plant tissues where biting results in the death of wooly beech aphids and other sucking pests. It is equally effective against whiteflies, scale insects, and dusky bugs.
Add 3-teaspoons of the concentrate in one gallon of water for spraying on beech tree foliage.
It's a synthetic pyrethroid that contains 7.9% Bifenthrin and can be used in Ultra-low volumes after mixing in oil or water. Since the Beech trees are tall enough that sometimes a knapsack or hand sprayer can't mist them properly. They are effective at a minimum dose and allow killing many resistant pests, including woolly beech aphid and other foliage-feeding insects.
8-ounces of product concentrate can make 44 gallons of solution that can be sprayed over an area of 44000 square feet.
Check out our other guides on common garden bugs.
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