Knowledgebase
Controlling Hackberry Psyllids and Woolly Aphids Without Harming Pollinators #866754
Asked May 02, 2024, 11:21 AM EDT
Hamilton County Ohio
Expert Response
Hi Evan, apologies for the delayed response. We're working on finding the right expert for your question and should have an answer soon.
Evan M. Gildenblatt, MPA
Evan:
My name is Joe Boggs and I'm based in Hamilton County. My background is entomology and I have a strong focus/interest in non-native invasives. I'm very interested in the woolly aphid that you're dealing with because it may be the Asian Woolly Hackberry Aphid (Shivaphis celti).
If possible, I'd like to make arrangements for visiting your site to confirm my suspicions. Although the aphids cause no appreciable harm to hackberry trees, they are a serious nuisance pest owing to the potential for the aphids to produce huge populations of "puff balls" and they are a prolific honeydew producer. However, we have poor documentation on their distribution.
My e-mail address is: <personal data hidden>
My phone number is:<personal data hidden>
Regarding management, we don't have a recommendation for suppressing the psyllid galls because they cause no appreciable harm to their host even when they cause heavy leaf galling. That's because the leaves remain functional. Likewise, I don't have a proven recommendation for suppressing the woolly aphids because they also cause no appreciable harm to the host, so insecticide efficacy studies aren't funded.
However, I can talk to you more about that.