Determined attack on bad bugs ideas please

twopenny

The last two summers my pixie cherry tree has had stout black bugs on all the shoots destroying the leaves and fruit - so serious sap sucking.
They aren't blackfly, more sturdy.
Standard bug killer briefly worked a bit but not enough. Ditto soapy water. 

It is only this tree but it's going to kill it as its only tiny. And this also seems to indicate they may be overwintering in the soil or bark. I can't find out much on line or in books.
Also I'd like my cherries!

Is there anything I can use as a drench order wash to give my tree a chance?

My dwarf box hedge has also been attacked by the box hedge moth caterpillar. It's spreading badly now
Ordinary bug killer had some effect. I can't find the catterpillars or shake any out. 
Again, is there anything I can drench it with? 

No birds in the garden yet or bees or hedgehogs so it would be a good time to do it.
I will cover anything treated with fleece to be on the safe side
Any ideas appreciated.......

Farway

Creosote?

Couldn't resist, it used to be tar wash but no longer available, and I guess the alternatives are just not as effective

Box caterpillar, anything on YouTube? But I have a memory that a lot of people, professionals included, give up & grow something else

Keep_pedalling

As far as the box is concerned you are probably fighting a loosing battle, and I would replace the box with an alternative species. Sounds like some sort of aphid on the cherry (there are hundreds of different species) just keep going with the regular soupy water pesticides will kill their natural predators as well. 

twopenny

'There are hundreds of different species' - yes, tell me about it.
I've been fighting them for 2yrs. 
Specific to this tree, which is why I think they may be lurking.

The box - so far it's remained in the hedge around the patio. Digging up and replanting I can no longer do physically. I'll keep plugging away harder with the bug killer. 
May have a read through the very old gardening books I have but thats going to take ages. Meanwhile the bugs are still active and birds will soon be round.

YoungBlueEyes

I'll look out my old gardening books and see if I can find something useful. How about going up the food chain and attract more birds to your garden so they can do the work for you? 

ArbitraryRandom

The internet tells me that if it's specifically cherry blackfly (that only attack cherry trees), spraying with an oil based treatment in spring can stop the eggs from hatching. One example: https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-horticultural-oil-1402736

https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/cherry-blackfly 

Last year I bought 25 ladybug larvae and they seemed to get a burgeoning aphid outbreak on my strawberries under control well enough  

twopenny

Good one Abs.
Think that's what I plumped for back along.
I've been disturbing ladybirds hibernating by clearing up wet leaf debris so I'm stopping that.

Birds if I could bring them anyway but we don't seem to have them at the mo.
Besides, they don't seem to be interested in these as the cherry is right by the bird feeder.
The dwarf box grows tightly. It may be an idea to thin out the branches so the birds and me can get at the darn things!

YoungBlueEyes

Hessayon isn’t much actual help. Unless you have a goodly supply of DDT then just say and I’ll give you the next steps! 

Edit - for interest value only. 

Katiehound

I had a dreadful infection of scale insects a few years ago which attacked a very mature evergreen shrub.   I ended up buying a systemic insecticide from the garden centre. It did the trick. (Also used for vine weevil)

Farway

YoungBlueEyes said:

Hessayon isn’t much actual help. Unless you have a goodly supply of DDT then just say and I’ll give you the next steps! 

Edit - for interest value only. 

Ahh, good old Derris Dust.

How times change, way back this was the organic cure all, much more natural.

Shame it gave folk Parkinson's, which shows, as most know, natural is not always better.

Katiehound said:

I had a dreadful infection of scale insects a few years ago which attacked a very mature evergreen shrub.   I ended up buying a systemic insecticide from the garden centre. It did the trick. (Also used for vine weevil)

Can you name the product? I would have suggested a systemic, but even these are not what they once were.

Katiehound

yes, I can name it

Bug Clear Ultra- vine weevil killer -made by Evergreen garden Care

kills vine weevil  (of course!) larvae, aphids,black fly,  scale insect, mealy bug

max x 2 treatments per year

around £12

I note this on the box;
"Pesticide resistance in glasshouse whitefly and some aphids is widespread.
Where resistant pests are present Bug Clear Ultra is unlikely to give control."