[karlooben]

i did scrap some of with the cutters an there was little red looking bugs on them they looked like a tpye of aphid.

[Lee1978]

well i have finally diagoisned  woolly aphid , now i just got to make up my mind on wether to cut the whole thing down or not .

I have just recently diagnosed the same problem with one of my apple trees. Having  read the "Friut Expert" by D.G. Hessayon i am going to try scrubbing the aphids off with a tooth brush with some white spirits to see if a can get rid of the problem. It might be worth a try rather than killing the tree.

Hope this helps.
Lee

[karlooben]

hi there , i cant use anything that may harm my girls as the tree is within the chicken run .

but while i am here would any of you know , long story short  i thought my girls had slowed right down on laying they had not they had only got under the shed an layed over 3 dozen well they all had to be thrown away as i just would not take the risk of anyone eating them.. if i cut down the branches of the apple tree and then re plant it would it survive or not ??

[joyfull]

looby, nothing to do with the tree but why didn't you do the water test with your eggs to see if they were still fresh rather than chucking the lot? 

[karlooben]

i was going to but i do not want to take a risk as i dont know wether the rats have been near them or not , they could of been there for over 4 months easily i think.

[barney rubble]

i was going to but i do not want to take a risk as i dont know wether the rats have been near them or not , they could of been there for over 4 months easily i think.

probably a very wise move - not tyring to teach granny to suck eggs joyful (so to speak and not refering to you either grannie annie), but the shells are porous, and all kind of bactieria can not only get in there, but will sit there festering to the point they are a serrious hazzard to your helath