Neem Oil Concerns

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GenericGuy Dauphin, Canada Jul 19, 2022

TL;DR version of this post:
2 concerns.If anyone knows the answer(s) I would appreciate it. 1. Will a neem oil drench, being systemic, enter the fruit of a tree and affect the taste or quality of the fruit? 2. As ladybugs (and other beneficial aphid eaters) may eat aphids that have ingested the azadirachtin that is in neem oil, will they be affected by it as well?

Long version:
I have had an aphid problem with my Canada Plum for several years and have battled them with several successful, but time consuming methods, only to have them return year after year. If I don't treat this tree, the aphids spread to other trees, though not as prolifically. Treatments that have worked include insecticidal soap (but that takes repeated time consuming unpleasant treatments), purchasing ladybugs (but they are expensive where I live, if I can get them, plus very expensive shipping) and (less expensive) aphidoletes. I have trimmed all branches that may reach to the ground and put a tanglefoot treatment around the trunk to stop ants from colonizing aphids on the tree. As I said, while these treatments are effective they are either expensive or time consuming. This year I used a neem oil drench around the tree and it has eliminated 90% of the aphids. Although a neem oil drench has to be repeated every three weeks it is easy to do and only takes about 5 minutes. The neem oil isn't cheap, but much cheaper than by purchasing aphid eating insects (I just bought a 5kg can of neem oil for about $120, which should last two full seasons and can also be used for other pest control, especially flea beetles that are another recurring problem here due to the proximity of canola fields). I like my ladybug population, though, and am concerned that they will be affected if they eat the poisoned aphids. and of course, I wonder if the fruit itself will be affected by this systemic approach. If anyone knows the answer or has other suggestions for aphid control I am open to suggestion

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