these are asian or japanese beetles, very terrible pest, search plant eating japanese beetles for info... very destructive they come from grubs, only out late at night, see them eat with flashlight, knock into pan of soapy water to kill, best to kill there larva now to august or they will return with a vengeance. these are a little known pest eating all trees and vegetation all over the US. They LOVE mint, peppers, thyme, most herbs, spices, sunflowers...dont eat tomatos for some reason...if you see little green "grasshoppers"? DONT KILL THEM, they are baby praying mantises there to eat your beetles, they are your best friends... best of luck, Steve

Firstyear: The damage on your cherry leaves appears to me to be the initial symptoms of bacterial disease, which is often followed by bacterial canker of the twigs and branches. I don't think your problem is either insecticidal or fungal, but rather bacterial, which is the most difficult to arrest. Bacterial disease is common on cherry and other stone fruits, and is perhaps the most frequent reason for their eventual demise. You don't specify how old the tree is, nor whether it is a sweet or sour cherry. Please do if you post again. Also tell us if you can see any oozing cankers on your tree and whether the disease has affected any of your cherries. The insecticide Sevin is of very little use on fruit trees, except against Japanese beetles. Sevin would have no impact on a bacterial disease, so you can put this chemical away for now. The best defense I have found against bacterial disease is two dormant sprays with a strong copper solution such as the product called Kocide. Dormant copper can delay the onset of this disease, and slow it once it is underway. I wouldn't go so far as to say copper can cure this disease, but it will do better than anything else I have found. Copper sprays should be applied in late fall after leaf drop, and again in early spring just before bud break. There is really nothing you can do about this disease for now during the growing season. Bacterial disease is a case for prevention, not cure, and the best prevention is dormant spraying. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Spraying off aphids with a water hose gets them off the plants temporarily, but it does not kill them. They usually just climb back up. I have controlled aphids finger squashing, but when there is a lot like you are saying, that is tough to get them all. If it were me I would probably consider an insecticide. If you wanted to go organic, I knew a guy who would buy chewing tobacco, soak it in water, add a little Ivory soap and then spray the water on the plants/insects.

If it were rhubarb, those could have been chicken eggs. But on mint, perhaps a moth of some kind. Your best bet is to put some eggy leaves in a jar with an airy covering and wait for them to hatch, post more photos.