What's eating my wild crabapple bonsai?

Wild Crabapple bonsai (Malus sylvestris) attracts aphids, spider mites (especially under the stress of bonsai container culture), woolly aphids on roots and branches, and codling moth if kept outdoors during fruiting. The confined root system amplifies stress and pest susceptibility — aphids are the most common problem.

Sticky, curled shoot tips with dense green colonies in spring; honeydew promotes sooty mould on bark and leaves Rinse leaves with water; treat with diluted insecticidal soap or neem oil; repeat weekly until clear

White waxy wool-like fluff on branches and aerial roots; causes knobbly galls that weaken branch structure Scrub colonies off with a stiff brush dipped in methylated spirits; apply systemic neem drench to roots; cut out severely galled wood

Fine bronze stippling on leaves, webbing on undersides in warm dry conditions; leaves drop prematurely on stressed bonsai Raise humidity around the tree; spray undersides of leaves with miticide or diluted neem oil; repeat every 5–7 days for 3 applications

Caterpillars tunnel into small decorative fruits, causing frass-clogged holes and premature fruit drop Hang pheromone traps nearby; remove and discard any affected fruits; spray with codling moth granulosis virus at petal fall