At the first sign of aphids, I put the hose sprayer on mist, full power, and hold each leaf tip gently between my thumb and pointer finger and spray to knock them off. I don't grab tender new shoots/growth, but still spray them. If you catch it early, they seem to have difficulty re-establishing. Once the majority of the aphids are knocked off, I spray neem oil on the tops and bottoms, coating the whole tree. Very little if any aphid damage with this technique. The key is acting quickly before they cause leaf deformation. Fruit tree spikes won't be a fix to those damaged leaves in any significant way . I don't like spikes anyways ... it's too much fertilizer concentrated in one area and often can burn roots.

Even though deformed and unsightly (compared to undamaged foliage), there is no significant physical impact to the tree. It is still quite able to photosynthesize as needed. Nothing will change the appearance of the current leaves at this point, although it may continue to push new leaves into the season, which will be unaffected.

I also agree about the fertilizer spikes.......a very inefficient way to fertilize anything. If you have them, pulverize them or grind them up and apply as you would a granular fertilizer.

Thank you both! I bought spikes on sale a few years ago and haven't found a way to use them.

You could always give them as a "present" to a gardening "friend" ... or just mash em' up and sprinkle them around and water in ... the key is spreading it all out ... and be sure to stay at least 6" from the trunk, on an overcast cool day in the late afternoon.

If you are wondering how to get them in granular form, there are tons of methods, but one idea would be to toss a couple in a small durable tightly knit cloth sack or a heavy plastic contractor bag and just step on it a few times until its smooshed ... then pour the contents into a small bucket and figure out a way to scoop it out and spread it. Sorry if that was captain obvious ... just trying to help you to use em' up.