Aphids and Caterpillars

Crag30

I’m having problems with my trees and shrubs.
My apple tree has Apple Ermin caterpillars, which is worse than it was last year.
Researching the problem, I used winter tree wash in the winter as instructed, but the caterpillars are back with a vengeance this year.

My weeping flowering cherry tree has Wooly Aphid, as has one of my shrubs.
The leaves nearest the trunk on the tree have all been eaten, and I have removed all the cotton bud type things from where I have seen them. This also appeared for the first time last year, and has been treated with the winter tree wash

I have a small berberis which has had all its leaves eaten, from what google lens has told me is a Muellin Caterpillar.

I haven’t found a cause for why my plum tree looks like it’s dying, but have an infestation of white aphids on a nearby photinia robin red.

I’ve asked advice form the local garden centre but not getting any answers, and was hoping somebody on the forum has been successful in combatting these bugs
Thanks in advance

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Farway

The images you posted are pixellated beyond recognition, you'll need to shrink them down.

You don't say the size of your trees, if small, spraying will be easier. If an orchard giant not so much.

First problem is Winter wash is not the product it used to be, once upon a time it worked because it was based on Coal Tar and killed the lot, eggs, adults, and maybe gardeners 😈 Since more Eco days it has been neutered, along with slug pellets etc, so apart from the name they are a different, and IMO, useless, product.

Now it's depends on what you want, if you want Eco, organic, non chemical then you are where you are. If however you want to remove the pests find a Systemic insecticide & use it as per instructions

You may find pheromone traps for the Ermine Moth. I found this page, in case you've nort seen it https://gardender.com/apple-ermine-moth/

Crag30

thanks for the reply. I’ve had pheromones traps in for years without this problem, but I first noticed the Ermin last year.
I don’t know if it’s climate change or that I’m not surrounded by neighbours that don't look after their gardens as there’s a lot of self seeded trees about.
The apple tree is quite a few years old but is pruned each winter to keep it under control.

Apple Tree (trees in background are self seeded sycamore trees that are not on my property)

Muellin Caterpillar on Berberis

Wooly Aphid on Weeping flowering Cherry

Plum tree

Apple Ermin

twopenny

You have a lot of trees and shrubs, What's the bird population like?

I've had lots of birds and since the first brood fledged they've spent the last couple of months eating everything in sight. It's made a huge difference.

Crag30

Bird population is much better this year in the garden, which I put down to a decrease in Magpies. The bee population. is also up, but so is my bug population.

I took over the gardening when my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimers, and then passing in 2016. I've now bought the house now my mums passed away, and am trying to get it back to it's former glory, as after my Dads passing I had to make it as low maintenance as possible. Although gardening was my medication for when having to care for mum the last couple of years.

Its just soul destroying seeing this happen, and unable to do anything about it. I had already got rid of the boxbush after failing to rid the boxbush caterpillar.

Farway

I’ve had pheromones traps in for years without this problem, but I first noticed the Ermin last year. Not an expert on pheromones, but every moth / bug species has different pheromone, so what smells like a fancy lady to one may smell like stale baccy & booze to another species 😁

In other words you need an Ermine specific pheromone trap

The link I posted did say you can hose them off, but not sure if that is so easy looking at your tree.You will need grease bands to stop them climbing back up the tree

https://www.rhs.org.uk/prevention-protection/grease-bands-and-tree-barrier-glues

Crag30

I was wondering if they had hibernated in the bark higher up the tree, as whereas last year they were on lower branches. And even though I climbed the tree to spray the Winter Wash on, it is easier to miss areas higher up with the spray than lower down.

I did blast the cobweb looking things with a hose when I first saw them this year. I'll have to see if I can get a Ermine pheromone for the trap