Please help! My Chinese Elm bonsai has green fly aphids!
Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2005 4:48 pm
Hi.
I got a Chinese elm bonsai as a present a month ago.
I am pretty new to bonsai nurturing, but have been reading up and trying to do the best things for it.
Within a week from getting it, it started shedding its leaves.
On closer examination, I found that the reason for this was a green colored bug.
After poring over a couple of books and scrutinising the bug in detail, I feel that the culprits are green fly aphids.
I sat with the plant for hours and pain-stakingly picked out each these aphids, I also forcefully sprayed jets of water to drive them out of hiding!
I got good results, and the aphids disappeared, new shoots came.
Within 2 weeks, the tree was back in good condition!
But then BAD LUCK!
My tree got stolen!
I was so devastated!
But with frantic posting of flyers all around my apartment complex, I got real lucky!
After a week, I GOT MY DEAR TREE BACK!
I found it left at my door step one morning!
I still don't know who took my tree.
But I was so thankful, that it was returned.
But sadly, the green fly aphid infection had come back in full swing.
And after my tree's return, I have not been able to completely shake off the infection.The aphids just keep coming back.
As long as I scrutinize the bonsai on a daily basis, I am able to control these horrid bugs.
But the moment, I turn my back they start ravaging my bonsai again!
And now, Although the tree is not shedding its leaves drastically, as it was in the first week, it still sheds 3-4 leaves a day, which is worrying me a lot.
The green fly aphids simply refuse to quit.
I guess I need to buy a good insecticide which will kill these bugs off for ever...
But I really don't know which one to buy.
And I am really scared about using a strong insecticide, which might be harmful!
Please advice! I am really at a loss at what to do.
I don't want to lose my tree.
Already lost it once, and got it back.
But I don't think I will get lucky If I lose it in a battle with these horrid aphids.
Please help!
Thanking you in advance,
kaivami
I got a Chinese elm bonsai as a present a month ago.
I am pretty new to bonsai nurturing, but have been reading up and trying to do the best things for it.
Within a week from getting it, it started shedding its leaves.
On closer examination, I found that the reason for this was a green colored bug.
After poring over a couple of books and scrutinising the bug in detail, I feel that the culprits are green fly aphids.
I sat with the plant for hours and pain-stakingly picked out each these aphids, I also forcefully sprayed jets of water to drive them out of hiding!
I got good results, and the aphids disappeared, new shoots came.
Within 2 weeks, the tree was back in good condition!
But then BAD LUCK!
My tree got stolen!
I was so devastated!
But with frantic posting of flyers all around my apartment complex, I got real lucky!
After a week, I GOT MY DEAR TREE BACK!
I found it left at my door step one morning!
I still don't know who took my tree.
But I was so thankful, that it was returned.
But sadly, the green fly aphid infection had come back in full swing.
And after my tree's return, I have not been able to completely shake off the infection.The aphids just keep coming back.
As long as I scrutinize the bonsai on a daily basis, I am able to control these horrid bugs.
But the moment, I turn my back they start ravaging my bonsai again!
And now, Although the tree is not shedding its leaves drastically, as it was in the first week, it still sheds 3-4 leaves a day, which is worrying me a lot.
The green fly aphids simply refuse to quit.
I guess I need to buy a good insecticide which will kill these bugs off for ever...
But I really don't know which one to buy.
And I am really scared about using a strong insecticide, which might be harmful!
Please advice! I am really at a loss at what to do.
I don't want to lose my tree.
Already lost it once, and got it back.
But I don't think I will get lucky If I lose it in a battle with these horrid aphids.
Please help!
Thanking you in advance,
kaivami