White bugs on Chinese elm bonsai.

[foxy1991]

Hi guys, first time posting here so hopefully I am doing it right.
Tonight I found some leaves on my Chinese Elm bonsai to be sticky so I googled it and I said bugs! So upon closer inspection under the leaves hiding I found quite a number of small 1 to 2 mm in length bugs some maybe even smaller than 1mm and they were leaving a sticky residue all on the leaves. I want to tackle the problem but not quite sure what they are exactly. If anyone could identify them for me that would be amazing.

[Adam Cotton]

They are plant sucking bugs, probably family Aphidae. You didn't mention where in the world you are growing the bonsai plant, it may help with identification for someone who knows more about these than me.

The sticky leaves are due to the bugs secreting excess sugar and liquid they sucked from the plant and ejecting it from the tip of the abdomen. Ants often 'farm' aphids in order to obtain this sugar.

The best treatment in this case would be a systemic insecticide. The bugs will suck it out of the plant and die as a result. Your local garden show can recommend the best one for your problem (aphids). A short term fix, which may help, would be to spray the plant with a solution of dish-washing liquid. This can affect the cuticle of the bugs and kill them as a result. It will also help wash the sticky solution off the leaves. That does need to be washed off if possible, as mould can develop on the sugar and it could be problematic for the plant. Of course the direct effect of the aphids piercing the plant tissue can also cause growth problems.

Adam.