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Why are birch leaves a sticky mess?

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED NOV 7, 2018

That's the pupal skin of a lady beetle stuck to the birch leaf along with lots of honeydew -- evidence of aphids, ants and lady beetles all at work. (Photo: Debbie Arrington)

Overhead aphid invasion follows ants up a tree

It's a sticky mess.

This fall, the huge birch tree that drapes over our back fence from a neighbor's yard dripped a gooey syrup over rose bushes, camellias and anything else beneath its branches.

A first, it was a mystery. What's all over my plants? There were no signs of aphids on the roses. Then, I realized that sticky stuff was dripping from above.

Now, thousands of yellowed birch leaves are raining into our yard. Covered with that sticky stuff, those leaves become glued to everything -- shoes, clothes, dog paws, rake, plants, you name it. Many of those leaves get tracked indoors to stick to carpet and furniture. There was nothing sweet about this honeydew.

I asked other gardeners if they had similar experiences during an unusually warm October and November. Yes, big trees seemed to be dripping goo more than normal, particularly birches and elms.

That syrup is known as "honeydew," a secretion from aphids. But how did these wingless critters get up in that 40-foot birch? And why were there so many of them?

Ants. They are the most likely explanation. Those little aphid wranglers "herd" them onto plants (including up trees) to feed on tender leaves and growth, then "milk" them for their honeydew to feed their colony.

Besides making a sticky mess, the honeydew also attracts sooty mold, another messy plant problem (particularly on honeydew-drenched plants in the splat zone).

Got a birch tree in or near your garden? You might
want to check it for ants. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

How did aphids cover such a big tree? They multiply at an outrageous rate, particularly in warm weather. Besides promoting late-season growth, these balmy days created a perfect environment for an aphid stampede.

According to the UC Cooperative Extension master gardeners, aphids reproduce asexually at maturity, which takes about eight days. Each female aphid can produce a dozen live offspring a day. As long as the weather and food supply hold out, they keep reproducing. Although their individual life cycles are short, that's a lot of aphids.

Such an infestation will cause leaves to turn yellow more quickly than normal and may stunt growth, but usually won't harm the tree. To keep it from happening again, dissuade ants from going up the trunk and starting another aphid ranch. A band of Tanglefoot or other sticky substance usually does the trick.

While attempting to rake the sticky leaves, I discovered reinforcements were on the job. Lady beetles, who love to feast on aphids, were breeding in the tree, too. I hope they're hungry.

For more information on aphids in trees: ipm.ucdavis.edu or https://bit.ly/2c673pU

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Keywords:

honeydew Tanglefoot gardening lady beetles Sacramento pests ants fall weather aphids birch trees

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Garden Checklist for week of April 21

This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.

* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* Smell orange blossoms? Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.

* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.

* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash.

* Plant onion sets.

* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias.

* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.

* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.

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