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Swedish Columnar Aspen: Aphid Honeydew Attracting Ants and Hornets

Diagnosis

Ants + hornets + sticky foliage + leaf holes = aphids or scale insects secreting honeydew. Insects suck plant juices; honeydew attracts wasps/ants.

Treatment Options

Small Trees: Foliar Spray

Orthene (acephate) on foliage/twigs
Kills aphids/scale on contact

Large Trees: Systemic Soil Drench

Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insect Control (imidacloprid)
Roots translocate to canopy
Kills insects as they feed
Lasts full season

Product Link

Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insect Control

Trees: Aspen Tree Sticky Leaves and White Eggs: Cottony Scale Infestation; Why Swedish Aspen Is a Poor Choice Near a House Foundation; Identifying and Treating Scale on Aspen Trees; Swedish Aspen Aphids Attract Wasps: Honeydew Connection; Identifying and Managing Twig Girdlers and Pruners on Aspen Trees; Redbud Leaffolder Control: Systemic Insecticide; Aphids and Ants on Young Swedish Columnar Aspen; Aspen Suckers in Lawn: Same Answer—Mow or NAA; Stopping Sassafras Stump Sprouts in the Lawn; Aspen Borers: Trunk Spraying with Onyx or Merit

Garden Articles

Managing Aspen Suckers and Dead Limbs

Oak Tree White Cottony Fuzz: Cottony Aphids and Honeydew

Globe Willow Dripping Sap: Aphid or Scale Infestation

Columnar Swedish Aspen Too Close to House: Relocate or Remove

Aspen Crown Dieback: Natural Regeneration from Lower Limbs

Aspen Pruning Wounds Bleeding: Normal Spring Response

Pruning Neglected Aspen: Timing and Proper Cutting Techniques

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Single Quaking Aspen Declining: Check for Root Pests or Cytospora Canker

Aspen Wilting After Overwatering: Recovery Likely

Aspen Leaf and Shoot Blight: Venturia Fungus Management in Wet Climates

Sticky White Residue on Mimosa: Aphid Honeydew

Saving a Mature Trembling Aspen with Cankers and Borers

Aspen Leaf Galls: Phylloxera Insects and Simple Management

Aspen Leaf Spot: Fungal Disease in Colorado Springs