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Crape Myrtle Aphid Battle: Persistence Beats Sooty Mold Sprays

Two Bad Years of Aphids and Honeydew on Crape Myrtle

A Charlotte, NC gardener fights crape myrtle aphids with Triazicide and sooty mold spray. Tree looks terrible, few flowers, bark peeling (normal).

Key Corrections

Stop spraying for sooty mold: It's a symptom. Kill aphids → mold stops → weathers off.
Spray frequency: Every 5 days while active aphids present (new honeydew, live bodies).
Coverage: Both leaf surfaces. Use spreader-sticker.
Systemic option: Soil-applied imidacloprid for season-long control with one application.

Bark Peeling = Normal

Crape myrtles naturally exfoliate bark, revealing smooth cinnamon/tan underlayers. Not a disease sign.

Flower Recovery

Once aphids controlled, new growth produces flower buds. Expect better bloom next cycle.

Trees: Controlling Aphids and Sooty Mold on Crape Myrtle; Crepe Myrtle with Sticky Leaves and Dead Branches: Honeydew and Sooty Mold; Diagnosing a Single Ailing Crepe Myrtle Among Healthy Ones; Seedling Crepe Myrtle Decline: Root Rot from Moisture Imbalance; Whitefly Infestation on Crepe Myrtle: Identification and Control; Crepe Myrtle Yellow Leaf Drop: Cercospora Leaf Spot Management; Crape Myrtle with Reddish-Yellow Leaves: Possible Mycoplasma Disease; Cercospora Leaf Spot on Crepe Myrtle; Aphid Honeydew on Crepe Myrtles: The "Raining" Effect; Crepe Myrtle Sooty Mold: Stop the Aphids

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