I’ve been hearing reports of aphids and some mites for a while now. I was in this orchard last week when I saw the bright yellow spots inside the veins of the leaves. Yellow aphids may be present in orchards throughout the season, but populations are usually higher in April, May and then again in August.
August is a critical month for pecan development as the trees are inducing their female flowers. UGA Extension Horticulturalist Dr. Lenny Wells says while flower induction is driven primarily by the effect of crop load on the tree, additional stresses like drought, insects, disease, sunlight, etc. in August can significantly reduce the following year’s crop.
In early season, we can rely on beneficials to suppress populations. Once we move to late summer, we need to be scouting for aphids. Below is a picture of two yellow aphids I saw under these leaves. These are different immature stages of the yellow aphid. The larger aphid is the last instar. The other is younger.
Immature Yellow Aphids
Thomas County Ag 