-3- 



(Hindsight Is always better than foresight 1 The writer should have urged 

 more widespread use of phosphate materials in Petal-Fall and 1st Cover sprays 

 this past spring. The rosy apple aphid did more damage after Bloom and remained 

 on the trees longer in 1958 in addition to being more abundant). 



However, remember this I Even in 1958 growers who carried out one of the 

 "insurance" programs did not need a phosphate soon after bloom, at a time when 

 apples are tender and easily russetted especially under poor drying conditions . 



More About The Aphid Itself 



Right now (October) winged females are flying from narrow leaved plantain to 

 apple trees. Here they produce living progeny which are wingless, egg laying 

 females. After a mating with winged males from plantain the overwintering eggs 

 are laid during October, November and even into December. Weather conditions 

 during these months have much to do with the return to apple and the abundance 

 of overwintering eggs. 



The eggs are tiny, black, ovals tucked into crevices and under the bark 

 along the trunk, limbs and branches. Each female may produce fewer than 10 eggs. 



Hatching usually starts when fruit buds show from 1/4 to 1/2 inch of green 

 tip, a stage we identify as Early Delayed Doirmant. All eggs are hatched normally 

 within a week but cooler weather may extend this considerably. 



The young nymphs crawl to the leaves, start sucking the sap and cause the 

 spur leaves to curl tightly. They are dark in color and develop rapidly into 

 the rounded, purple stem mothers. 



About the beginning of Pink these stem mothers, without mating, start to 

 produce living young. This is at an average rate of 5 or 6 per day (maximum 

 reported is 33) and may continue for a month. Thus a single overwintering egg 

 may give rise to 200 rosy aphids within a month after hatching. 



Furthermore, all these young aphids are females capable of repeating the 

 feat of their mother. Also they are now well protected in tightly curled leaves. 

 They may have already caused many "aphid apples" 



II 



A few of the above, the second generation, may have developed wings and 

 migrated to plantain. All, or nearly all, the third generation, and all of the 

 fourth if there are any on apple (as in 1958) migrate to plantain. Here four 

 or five additional broods are produced before we are back to the winged migrants 

 with which we started this story. 



It is complicated life cycle involving the tvjo host plants, one egg laying 

 generation, three winged forms, and many broods in which are found only the non- 

 mating females capable of producing living young. 



You can see the importance of early season control to prevent injury and 

 further build-up in numbers. 



The "Insurance" Program s 



You have several choices. All are based upon pre bloom applications. Costs 

 vary; some give better control while other offer more fringe benefits against 



