Leaf jumpers on my elm?!!!

TinyTree

Hello, Last night while examining my elm I discovered little green leaf jumpers hiding on most of the leaves. Too many to remove 1 at a time. What can I use to get rid of these pests? I just repotted it about a month ago so it's still at a fragile state.

Thanks for your replies.

Advertisement

pootsie

Green leaf jumpers? Is that a name of a bug, or just a description? Do you mean aphids?

pootsie

__________________
p.s. My cat is a bonsaiTALK Master.
Columbus Bonsai Society

rockm

Any of these bear resemblence to what's on your tree? http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~dietrich/lfhFAQ.html

Leafhoppers are common sucking insects that can harm your trees. Shaking the tree can temporarily dislodge them. They can be killed permanently with systemic insecticide. However, some systemics can kill some bonsai species. You have make sure the one you're using will work with the tree you're using it on.

rockm

Oops, here's the photo page:
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~dietrich/Leafhome.html

TinyTree

Yes, it looks like I have aphids on my elm. Sorry, my brother told me they were leaf jumpers......mental note: don't listen to him anymore!

Are there any pesticides known to kill bonsai that I should stay away from?

Thanks

sauce

I am sure there are but I can't answer that question. For common pests like aphids and spidermites you don't need chemicals. A little dish soap and water will work wonders. A couple of teaspoons of soap, (Dawn is the best in my opinion) in a gallon of water will work wonders without you having to worry about the health of your trees. There are other mixes as well. You don't need to use pesticides to rid your trees of bugs! You just need to treat them right and they will disappear.

rockm

"A little dish soap and water will work wonders. A couple of teaspoons of soap, (Dawn is the best in my opinion) in a gallon of water will work wonders without you having to worry about the health of your trees."

Mostly, you don't even need this. Simply get your garden hose, turn it on full blast, make a strong jet with your thumb or hose attachment, aim the water jet UP into the foliage of the tree from underneath it--it helps to elevate the tree on a shelf or stand--and spray underneath the leaves for a minute or so. The strong jet of water will dislodge most of the critters. If you do this every week or so, your aphid problem will be gone.

Joanie

I tried a strong spray of water, and it bruised the leaves on my quince. Now they look all battered. I like the soap method, but I come back and rinse it off in a couple of hours. The trees that I left the soap on seemed not to like it. The aphids are dead in a few hours, so rinsing didn't hurt.

Joanie

__________________

TinyTree

Cool, Thanks. I think my elm with it's tiny leaves may be too delicate for a strong burst of water. I seem to have great pressure at my house too. I tried some pesticide from the local nursury and it worked but a few more green leaves fell off. The tree still looks healthy but just weak. I'll try the soap and water method next time. Thanks for all the replies.