White Stripes

White Pine Aphids May Be Found Wherever White Pines are Grown

I remember the first time I saw these insects.  It was the summer of 1979 I was a relative newbie in what we used to call the tree spraying business, working for a company called, “Green-up Spray Service.”  I was with Dave, the General Manager, treating residential landscapes in a suburb of Seattle, WA.  The infestation was on every branch and the trunk of an Eastern White Pine.  I had never seen aphids so large.  They were easily ¼ inch long, with long spindly legs.  They were almost spider-like in appearance.  As I stared at them the entire mass was in constant motion as they swung their abdomens side-to-side as they fed, sucking the sap of life out of the tree.  It was actually, for lack of a better term, creepy.  It is an image that will stick with me for life.

 The White Pine Aphid, Cinara strobi (Fitch), Aphididae, HEMIPTERA, can be found wherever the Eastern White Pine (Pinus Strobus) or Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris; family, Pinaceae) are cultivated and grown.  The body is shiny dark brown with a white stripe down the center of the back.  Its legs are long and black.  As with most aphids the adults are usually wingless and during spring and summer reproduce asexually, giving birth to live young.  If there is a need to relocate, winged females are produced.  It is also these winged females who lay their blackish eggs in the fall for the species to overwinter.  Sometimes, in mild winters, such as most United States West Coast winters, adults may also overwinter. 

As with all aphids they feed by sticking their piercing, sucking mouth parts into the tissues of the plant and draw sap from it.  They feed in large quantities and in sufficient numbers can cause serious decline and even death of the host plant.  Their waste product is honeydew, a sugary substance that often attracts ants who, in turn, feed on the sticky material and may act in a protective manner toward the aphids.  When an aphid population is large, this honeydew can accumulate on the foliage, branches and twigs of the plant and on any surface below, encouraging the growth of sooty mold.  On lawn furniture this mold is unsightly.  On plant foliage it can block light, slow photosynthesis and hasten the decline of the tree. 

Control of these aphids is not difficult.  In the spring, prior to new growth, use a Parafin-based dormant oil to smother the overwintering eggs.  For populations discovered during the growing season, treatment with an appropriate pesticide (synthetic or natural) labeled for use against aphids, about two weeks apart will, if applied according to label directions, significantly reduce or eliminate, the population; To the point where they are no longer a danger to the tree.  Be sure that the pesticide you intend to use is registered for use in your area.

Images, by the US Forest Service, used under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

When using pesticides of any kind, be sure to thoroughly read and strictly follow the label directions.  Remember, the label is the law.  Applying any pesticide in a manner inconsistent with its labeling is a violation of Federal Law.

About the Author

Harry Case is Sales and Marketing Manager for Pest Control Center, Inc. in California and is a licensed pest control “Field Representative.”  He has been in the Structural Pest Control industry since May of 2005. Harry also has 16 & ½ years experience as a licensed Pest Control Operator in the related field of Landscape Pest and disease Control in the state of Washington.

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