It seem this year my trees are being devoured by bugs much more than in the past. Does anyone else get that feeling?

It could be just a figment of my imagination, or it could be real. We are blaming everything else on global warming, and spring definitely comes a week earlier and fall is even longer, so is that a reason? It has been raining a lot more than usual here, and bugs love water. Is that an issue?

Not really. I have the odd fungal infection. What sort of bacterial infection do you have?

I should have said insects.

I have a cherry tree whose entire new growth was covered this morning. I haven't been in that part of the menagerie for a couple of days because of the rain, so I don't know if they have been there since Tuesday or less. The orange tree has been fighting insects since spring. Other trees have had more than usual since spring.

Am I just lucky?

Ivan, where are the pictures?

Rain? what's that. We have had none for 2 months and still there are insects. Not surprising, just need treatment to control them,

Actually I knew what to do, spray them, and have done it. Now the big juicy white blobs are little black dried up specks, but it took spraying twice.

In the past I have pinched the odd bug off and never worried about them. Now I have several trees covered in them. I don't think I have ever bought bug spray before. Something is causing huge numbers of the little things.

Three years ago we had no rain are all July to October and the next year I never got the sprinkler out because it rained every week. I feel the pain of having no rain.

m5eaygeoff wrote: Rain? what's that. We have had none for 2 months and still there are insects. Not surprising, just need treatment to control them,

Less than 1cm of rain since April 1st here. And around 30c for a good month now No joke. I am getting salt buildup in my pots.

Your insects are aphids I suppose? There are lots of insects that can feed of your tree, which normally is not much of an issue. But yes, they an and do form large clonnies sometimes. Aphids infest a tree when it is weaker. If you have llots of them, see whether your trees are in optimal health. And see whether there are a lot of ants around. Stopthe ants from getting to your trees; They shepard the aphids.

We have ants everywhere. Big, small, black, brown. Sounds like another project.

I resist too many chemicals, being a long time environmentalist. I may have to conquer my feelings.

Place the legts of your bench in a cup. Place the cup in a large tray filled with water and your ants to not get to your trees.