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THE GREEN SPOT 



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Delicate Destroyers 



Way, way up, out of our line of sight, in some 

 tree somewhere, an aphid colony is forming. 

 Through the efforts of its key family members, the colony is 

 growing fast — exponentially. Soon — in no time at all, the 

 tree will be covered with aphids, some of which will have 

 wings. 



"All the better to fly to the next tree with, my dear," said 

 the big, bad, winged aphid. 



Also amongst the aphids will be an assortment of their 

 natural enemies: ladybugs, lacewings, parasitic wasps, 

 predatory flies and midges. Many of these are commercially 

 available. However, it is the predatory midges which seem 

 to work the hardest for the concerned arborist. 



A New Hampshire nurseryman reported tremendous suc- 

 cess using the commercially-produced aphid-predatory 

 midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza last year on a wide variety 

 of his nursery stock. 



An apple grower from Washington regaled with the story 

 of her success combatting the problem of aphids in her 

 orchard. 



A large Texas-based bedding plant/ornamentals produc- 



tion facility wiped out aphids in the pecan trees in front 

 of its administrative offices in as little as three weeks. 



The midges are supplied in a moistened vermiculite me- 

 dium as soon-to-hatch puparia (the third major stage of 

 metamorphosis). Upon completing the pupal stage, the frag- 

 ile-looking, mosquito-like adults are released under the tree 

 to be treated. The adults, being the very accomplished and 

 nomadic searchers that they are, fly up into the limbs to 

 seek gatherings of aphids. 



Once they find them, the midges don't eat the aphids — 

 nor do they discuss the weather. They do, however, lay 

 eggs. The eggs hatch and the larvae (the second major 

 stage of metamorphosis) simply go to town. "Bite an aphid 

 in the (knee) leg; inject a paralyzing toxin; eat the doomed 

 aphid or leave it to die while going on to the next one — 

 that's all we ever do," complains the small, dull orange, 

 worm-like larva. 



It's true. That's all they do. And they do it well. Assuming 

 no sprays have been used yet, give the native midges a 

 hand by allowing the Aphidoletes aphidimyza to roam free. ..in 

 your tree. 

 The Green Spot, Ltd., Department of Bio-\ngenuity: 603-942-8925. 



Christmas Tree Association 



Wreaths • Trees • Boughs • Cones 



^ Over 250 Members 



4 Over 200 Growers 



4- Christmas Trees 



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For a FREE Brochure 



of wholesale producers 



and vendors, contact: 



Pam Dwyer, 



Executive Secretar\j 



RR#1, Box 470 

 Wolcott, VT 05680 

 802-888-7255 

 800-873-3845 



WSi 



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THE PLANTSMAN 



