May well be woolly apple aphids. If so, the problem here is that they also colonize the roots. Some trees do fine for years with these particular aphids, others decline. If they're woolly apple aphids, later on you'll also see some white fuzzy stuff at the gnarled spots. If so, squish it -- purple bug juice on your fingers is diagnostic for woolly apple aphids.

Hi Don and applenut, thanks for the reply. It is quite sad to heard that we need to start over coz this tree supposed to be a 10 year old tree. One thing i would also like to mention is , even there are sprouts from the root of this apple tree. Does it support it is a crafted apple tree? How do i know it is crafted or not? I still have some questions. I remembered my mum told me she has copped it down because it doesnt grow nicely and wanted to start over. So it is my guess: 1. the main branch we are seeing now is the rootstock branch? 2. I saw some apples waiting for mature in one of the branch. Does it mean the rootstock is also an apple tree? your advice is appreciated.

Thanks, I will look into lorsban. Is this the only option or just the most preffered/effective?In reading MrsG thread on borers it sounded like this may not be available to hobyists. My reasons for organic are many....some more rational than others. Certainly whats on the fruit is near the top of the list, but also longevity in the environment, as well as what it breaks down into, and effect on non-target species....after those it gets more philosophical "touchy feely" But despite how it might sound on another current thread, I don't live in terror of synthetics. I just want to start from the most benign options and work my way up until I find a balance that works. I have read up on their life cycle and time my present methods of slurry and inspection accordingly but here I am... So far I have never seen injury above 6" from soil line. The larva have always been found within 3" of soil line. And the 1 exit hole I have seen (apparently I am effective at getting them at larval stage) was just a bit higher. I have not had them on the pears yet, but I have far fewer of those.

This is an off-label use for those fly-strip bars that contain dichlorvos, so do not expect that competent orchards who have to follow federal rules will be using this method, but it does work for the small orchardist. I had a borer making frass on one of my trees. Tried to get him with a wire and all that. I thought I got him, but the next day there was more frass. So I cut a sliver of plastic off one of the fly-strip bars that I store in the freezer (in a jar, so that it is preserved indefinitely) and poked that into the borer hole. Then the opening of the borer hole was plugged with kids modeling clay (to confine the dichlorvos vapors to his tunnel). The vapors from the fly strip sliver killed the borer dead as a doornail. No further damage to the tree, and it chugs on.