Hello Peter, I have a second question regarding tiny black bugs on my burning bushes that are causing the leaves to curl under. I have tried an organic detergent spray but they ( I think they are aphids?) are persistent. What would you recommend using in order to cure this infestation? Thank you again, Natalie
When you are using a contact killer like insecticidal soap, you’re killing the adult insects. The eggs are not killed. You need to commit to spraying VERY THOROUGLY once a week for three weeks. This will generally kill the you adults that hatch before they mature enough to lay more eggs. If you wait too long before the follow-up sprayings, you’ll never break down the reproductive cycle of the insects. If you use a systemic insecticide that you dilute and pour into the soil at the base of the tree, it will be taken up into the plant and any insect that chews on or sucks nutrients from the plant (like aphids do) will be killed. This insecticide remains in the plant long enough to kill the original population and successive generations that hatch from the egg. This effectively breaks the reproductive cycle.