Check for natural enemies before treating with insecticides. Systemic insecticides are particularly effective when aphids have curled the leaves. Contact insecticides and soaps are useful when aphids are exposed on leaves. Colors range from bright orange or red to dull gray. One common group, woolly aphids, produces an abundance of flossy, waxy threads that cover their bodies.
Aphids feed on plants by sucking plant sap from the leaves, twigs or stems.
When abundant, aphids remove large quantities of sap, reducing plant growth and vigor. Aphids feeding on developing leaves also can produce leaf curl injuries. This is most frequently observed on snowball viburnum, honeysuckle, plum and ash. Most aphids excrete large quantities of a sweet, sticky substance called honeydew. At times, excessive honeydew dropping from trees can be an extreme nuisance.