crystal: My MM111 isn't doing well either. I'm not sure if it has aphid as they are all in-ground. On some potted trees I have aphid on M7 and Geneva 30. There are no aphid on MM106 and Geneva 11 that I can tell.

Fauls: Whatever you have, you might want to spray your apple trees with dormant oil a couple of times during the winter months; once early, and again just before bud break. If insects are overwintering on your trees, the oil will suffocate the eggs. Make sure you clean up fallen fruit and leaves around the trees in fall, since some insects can overwinter below the trees as well. It would be nice to know exactly what pest you are dealing with, but even nicer to get rid of them. Oil sprays are a good routine preventive treatment for all pome fruits. It is always best to stop them before they get started. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Tom: Are you sure the neighbor's tree is not infested? Have you actually looked closely at his fruit? Maybe the neighbor sprays or picks up his fruit drops so there are not so many flies hatching out under his tree. There can be some variety differences, but when two trees so close together differ so much in the level of insect damage, there is usually something else in play. The spray you use is very much your own decision, based on what you can find and what is most effective in your area. Local advice would be better than mine. I use Imidan early for two or three sprays to get the apples up to thinning and bagging size, but Permethrin would be an acceptable and very effective substitute in most cases. But since I bag my apples, I am able to stop spraying very early in the season. If you don't do that, you will have to find something you are comfortable using all season long on about a 10 day schedule. Apple maggot is a later infestation than the plum curculio and codling moth I deal with by early sprays, and if you bagged your apples after thinning you might not have to spray at all, since you don't seem to have a problem with the other insects. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

I only use soapy water for aphids,and i check for them every other day or so. Anyone have any tried and true remedies for skunks?? About 5 years ago we had new sod laid in the backyard and it has done real well til this year.This year the skunks have destroyed it.We put down stuff for grubs and that been over a week ago and they are still digging everynight.The yard looks like HE** We've been in this house over forty years and this is the first time we've had this problem. I"ve been over to the lawn forums as well and think i also posted there, Kathi