Thank you so much for the advice. I actually did some already, but I really feel like I went easy. I just kept thinking, well...if it needs more, I'll do it next year. I mostly took off little brittle pieces and ones that were crossing like you suggested. I probably spent an hour at least just going over each limb. I think I was able to tell more and more as time went on which branches were old and which were new. I figured all those old twigs and such were just taking up space that the fruit could grow and light could come in. I did take off a couple pretty hefty branches right in the middle, (by hefty, I mean I had to use the saw, about 1 1/2" in diameter) to allow more sun in. I won't do any more and will hope and pray it survives it's pruning!! Thank you again for the advice!

I have no experience with your situation, but I think you're going to have to poke around, gently, under the plant and see the damage directly, no guessing, without breaking any roots. If a lot of roots have been bared by the tunneling of the gopher, the I would guess they need to be re populated with soil, and watered in well, so the maximum amt of roots are in contact with soil and its nutrients/moisture. As long as the plant is not growing (in shock, stalled), I wouldn't fertilize, just keep moist. I have no idea whether the "root stimulator/transplant shock reducing" stuff from the garden centers would have any effect.

We have eight CMs a bit west of where the scale first showed up in 2004; it covered our lot from east to west in just over a season. In spite of now being on virtually all of the CMs in our neighborhood, it barely bothers many. Purely anecdotal, but seems like it was worse on all trees during the first couple years of infestation before they settled on their "favorite" ones. Resistance does appear to vary by hybrid/cultivar, though not much seems to be known about this yet. There are so many CMs in our area, I suspect eradication is very unlikely anytime soon, so will try to learn to live with these wretched beasts. The horticultural/dormant sprays haven't helped and I'm not a big fan of having to resort to regular/frequent applications of systemics. So, we're removing the three or four CMs that do get disfigured/discolored and, with the ants' help, will just live with it on the remaining trees that are not bothered much..... and resort to systemics only for any especially bad years.

Donna- I haven't caught much of anything but I think the oil might be too thin or that I don't have that much rose midge yet. I'm going to try coating them with vaseline instead. I don't think too many insects could escape that sticky mess. They do look pretty though :-) I'm trying vaporvacs method with the plastic bags and thinking of spraying or coating this too with oil, not vaseline, (that would take forever!) so if any larvae land on the plastic they won't be able to wiggle their way to the edge and into the soil. Just slowly pecking away at it between the rain, the heat and the curve-balls life throws at you. Hopefully I'll be done before winter! Carol- I do rinse my bird baths once in a while. I did see some goldfinches in my triple fountain once and that has a bubbler at the top. Sharon