Help identify and treat pests on my Chinese sweet plum

poisome

Seedling
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
Slovakia
Hey!
I've got this supposedly 5 year old bonsai last Wednesday (2/14/2024) and I've noticed some bugs crawling from the dirt when I was first watering it on the last Friday (2/16/2024) - see the video on Streamable, but I didn't pay much attention to it as the tree seemed fine otherwise.
The time that I started worrying was when leaves started getting yellow-ish tint together with some brown dots on them and finally today (2/22/2024) I noticed the actual bugs on leaves. See the Imgur picture, the bottom right some white fluffy stuff on the leaves, and top left some yellow round bugs on stems and leaves.
What are they? How do I treat it? Should I be looking for some chemical insecticide right away?
Streamable video
Imgur picture
 

Wires_Guy_wires

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,478
Reaction score
10,764
Location
Netherlands
Please upload pictures to the forum or embed the pictures so we don't have to do a lot of work to help you identify next time :)
They are aphids. You can treat those with something that lists aphids on the label, but neem oil emulsion would work as well. Neem oil is not a dangerous chemical, but it stinks like old onions.

Bugs in the dirt are probably something else, like harmless springtails.
 

poisome

Seedling
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
Slovakia
Please upload pictures to the forum or embed the pictures so we don't have to do a lot of work to help you identify next time :)
They are aphids. You can treat those with something that lists aphids on the label, but neem oil emulsion would work as well. Neem oil is not a dangerous chemical, but it stinks like old onions.

Bugs in the dirt are probably something else, like harmless springtails.
Thanks for the help and sorry for the hassle, haven't used a forum like this in a while.
I will visit my local flower shop today and see what can I get.
 

poisome

Seedling
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
Slovakia
The person at the flower shop suggested that it’s very likely that pests already came with the bonsai and that I could try to return it, so I am gonna try that. If that fails I got some insecticide soap to try to treat it.
 

Wires_Guy_wires

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
6,478
Reaction score
10,764
Location
Netherlands
The person at the flower shop suggested that it’s very likely that pests already came with the bonsai and that I could try to return it, so I am gonna try that. If that fails I got some insecticide soap to try to treat it.
That's difficult to prove though and might be more of a hassle than to just treat it. Some stores have a policy to not accept live plants being returned, so they could offer you to trade it in for a new one that also has aphids. It's also pretty unlikely that they take back plants that have an insect problem because it can ruin their stock.
 

poisome

Seedling
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
Slovakia
That's difficult to prove though and might be more of a hassle than to just treat it. Some stores have a policy to not accept live plants being returned, so they could offer you to trade it in for a new one that also has aphids. It's also pretty unlikely that they take back plants that have an insect problem because it can ruin their stock.
I guess you are onto something. So, in meanwhile I sprayed the tree with the insecticide that I got.
 

poisome

Seedling
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
Slovakia
Seems like the plant is doing much better now after the first spraying. Thanks again for the help and the encouragement.
 

Forestcat

Yamadori
Messages
67
Reaction score
27
Location
N Cal
USDA Zone
10
I don't know what insecticide you used, but as Wires_Guy mentioned above, Neem oil works very well and is not as toxic as some pesticides.
 
Top Bottom