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| Hi there -
We have a small quince tree that is budding out and looking quite nice. I went out there this afternoon though and noticed tons of tiny little black insects all in the bud/new shoot area. The bugs are very small but seem to have legs and their bodies are long and narrow - not round. There are lots of them in each of the buds. Anyone know what these are? Is there anything I can do to get rid of them? Are they harmful? We have a pear tree nearby that has not budded out yet but I think it has been impacted by pests in the past (its very old - was here when we bought the house). Thanks for any help!! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by plantknitter 8 (My Page) on Fri, Apr 1, 11 at 12:36
| Do they fly at all, or just crawl? |
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- Posted by dan_staley 5b/SS 2b AHS 6-7 (My Page) on Fri, Apr 1, 11 at 12:47
| pix help. Dan |
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| I didnt notice them flying - they seemed to be mostly just crawling around in there. I will try to get a picture but they are so tiny I am not sure how well it will turn out. |
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- Posted by larry_gene z8_Sunset6_OR (My Page) on Fri, Apr 1, 11 at 23:45
| The description sounds like thrips, try researching those insects. |
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| Thanks Larry - I think you may be right - thats the closest match I've found anyway. Tried to take pictures of them but couldnt get the camera to focus. They are so tiny - look like little grains of black rice. And definitely not flying anywhere - just crawling around slowly in the buds. So assuming they are thrips - what should I do about them? |
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- Posted by larry_gene z8_Sunset6_OR (My Page) on Sat, Apr 2, 11 at 23:38
| Thrips have tiny feathery wings, you would need a magnifying glass to see them clearly. You could try some insecticidal soap or horticultural oil on a few tree buds to see if that stops them. |
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- Posted by plantknitter 8 (My Page) on Sun, Apr 3, 11 at 2:55
| Might they be pollinators? Why try to get rid of them if they are not doing any harm? Can you take some to the extension office to get id's? I always see very tiny (not even close to being the size of rice) black insects on my magnolia buds and flowers and there is never any damage. |
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| Perhaps -- and most likely -- they're aphids. If so, wash off and/or squish. Then repeat every several days as needed. Thrips don't have that habit nor would they be that obvious to the naked eye. |
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