Hackberry tree bugs - Ask Extension
Hi, at the back of our property is a 40-foot Hackberry tree, which is infested with tiny bugs, which I believe are Psyllids. Attached is a photo. Th...
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Hackberry tree bugs #813034
Asked October 03, 2022, 2:43 PM EDT
Hi, at the back of our property is a 40-foot Hackberry tree, which is infested with tiny bugs, which I believe are Psyllids. Attached is a photo. They have become a big problem for us, carpeting everything and rendering our backyard useless. Other than spraying it or removing the tree, can anything else be done?
Carver County Minnesota
Expert Response
If you have hackberry phylids, there will be galls on the underside of the leaves. If not, it is another insect. The only control I could find aside from keeping windows closed or putting on smaller screens is this:
Hackberry psyllids are aphid-like jumping insects that are extremely common on hackberry trees. They are also called hackberry nipplegall makers due to the galls (raised growths) they form on leaves and stems. Hackberry psyllids cause ornamental damage to the tree, though infestations are not normally serious enough to warrant control. The University of Missouri suggests using a store-bought flying-insect insecticide in the spring to wipe out the pests.
Hackberry psyllids are aphid-like jumping insects that are extremely common on hackberry trees. They are also called hackberry nipplegall makers due to the galls (raised growths) they form on leaves and stems. Hackberry psyllids cause ornamental damage to the tree, though infestations are not normally serious enough to warrant control. The University of Missouri suggests using a store-bought flying-insect insecticide in the spring to wipe out the pests.
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for the reply. We definitely have galls on the leaves. The bug infestation has exponentially increased over the past two years. I’ll research a pest control.
