Help! Apple tree infestation

[SkittlesandmoreSkittles]

Can anyone offer advice please? I am a very novice gardener! We put in young (but not tiny) apple trees last year and after flowering beautifully in the spring and looking healthy, they have an infestation (possibly aphids? But also a black and orange critter). Can anyone identify what these are? Anyone have suggestions for how to help the trees? We have a small wildflower meadow beside them so preferably organic methods.

The 3rd pic (lots of little bugs) looks like aphids (bad guys)
The 1st pic (scary looking orange and black creature) looks like a ladybird larva (good guy) - there to eat the aphids

Yes, agree with tdm1. I'd probably take off the worst affected shoots (with that much damage they're not adding much benefit to the tree), then leave the ladybird to get on with it. Or hand a fatball in the tree to attract insect eating tits.

Yup, the black and orange critter is a ladybird larvae, it will eat the aphids, encourage any more you see onto your apple trees. I agree with adding fastballs, put up some birdfeeders as I find sparrows lick the aphids off my plants. They take their time to turn up though, it's always at the point when you feel overwhelmed with aphids.

That happened to our young apple tree the last two years and once it had reached that stage I just gave up to be honest. This year from April onwards I have been out every couple of days getting rid of any aphids I see and the tree is thriving so even if this year is a write off hopefully next year will work out as long as you stay on top of it from the very start of spring :)

Thank you very much everybody! I will try all these suggestions. Great tits are usually at the other end of our garden so I will try to tempt them .