Black cherry aphid

Look for shiny black aphids and sticky honeydew coating cherry, apricot, and plum foliage and twigs in late spring and early summer. Infested leaves may curl; extensive sooty mold will coat areas, making sticky residue and mold more obvious than aphids themselves. Check new growth terminals beginning in May.

Spray infested foliage forcefully with water; repeat every few days as needed. Apply horticultural oil or insecticidal soap when temperatures stay below 85F. Encourage ladybird beetles, parasitoid wasps, and lacewings by avoiding broad-spectrum insecticides. If soap fails, neem oil or spinosad products provide additional options. Damage mostly cosmetic unless populations extremely dense.