Large Trees in Danger of Chain Saw!

[Kandi]

My neighbor has 2 beautiful willow trees that provide shade in my yard, and a source of visual enjoyment. Recently she has started cutting one of them down and plans to level both of them due to an enormous amount of tiny (2-5cm) red bugs, 6 legged, red bodied, with 2 little yellowish points on its back end. I mean tons of then, all over every branch. These little guys seem harmless, although messy as they spew a reddish color when flattened, and the tree is raining sticky sap as well. They dont fly, or bite. But the amount is overwhelming to her. I don't mind sweeping them off my deck, but I am so sad that these trees will no longer be a part of our backyard. Is there anything we can do? Can I tell her this will pass with the season, will the bugs return? or leave? Is her cutting down the trees the best solution? Thanks for your time, and patience in my less than knowledgeable state on these things.

[maldonado]

[Timothy]

Good day Kandi, it would seem to me that your neighbors' tree is infected with spidermites. This I cannot confirm with out seeing, but this seems to be your best bet. Google spidermites or look at this and see what you think:

are something that can be delt with but may cost some money. The trees are your neighbors' and they may not like the trees for other reasons not known to you. You may offer to maintain the trees instead of them cutting them down, but I wouldn't get your hopes too high. You may want to look in to your options that you can do for yourself on your side of the fence.

[Kandi]

Ok, I am not too sure why that was the response I got to my question. Perhaps I should have mentioned that my neighbor would like to see these trees remain in the yard as much as I would. I was only looking for an alternative for her rather than her cutting them down. I think your smart ass comment to my question was pointless. Had I known this board was occasionally used to insult it's visitors I suppose I should have just helped my dear neighbour stack the wood from the tree, and shrugged my shoulders at the loss. If anyone has some helpful advise please let me know, Thank-you

[dr-solo]

it is probably due to some kind of sucking insect. we saved a newly planted river birch from an infestation by using systemic insecticide, spreading it out over the root zone and watering it in so the tree takes up the systemic into all the leaves. It does take a while, but it knocks the suckers down over several weeks. we had to buy a couple cans of it for an 8-10 foot tree, but now that river birch is really big and thriving 10 years later. only had to use the stuff once. Ingrid

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[simy1]

you know, every spring I scrape the windows of my garage with the edge of a square plastic pot, and collect tens of thousands of ladybugs who overwinter in there and are ready to go. I then take the pot outside and release them so they can do their thing. And of course one of the things they do is control the bugs you have (you probably meant them to be 2 mm long, because 2cm is close to an inch). I see no soft-bodied insects anywhere, except in late october when the ladybugs have already turned in for the season, and the aphids finally have a way to attack my cabbages. Too late for this year, but you may consider having one last try next spring, if food is abundant ladybugs will stay and reproduce a few times in a single season. They should substantially reduce the number of the red bugs.

[Vox Humana]

Call a tree specialist and/or submit some of the insects to your extension agency (there is one in every county if you are in the US.) Until the problem is diagnosed, you can't consider a cure. I have to admit that if I had several trees raining down 5cm ( 2 inch) bugs, I would be looking for a solution but I find it curious that someone would cut a tree down as the FIRST response to an infestation of unidentified insects. There is always a chance that the insects are just resting in the tree on there way to somewhere. The other possibility is that the tree is infested with aphids, and the insects that are bothering you are simply there to control the primary infestation - but then I can't think of a 5 cm insect that would fall into that category.