Mistletoe...

is not our favourite thing in the orchard!

The seeds of this pretty but parasitic plant are spread by birds and it quickly saps all the strength from apple trees.  In order to remove it you have to completely remove the branch, right back to the trunk.  If you look at your tree and think "if I remove all the mistletoe I will have no tree left" then you've got yourself a mistletoe tree, not an apple tree.

Mind you, they make good wildlife habitats for some special moths and insects, but you can say good bye to the apples, so it's important to keep it under control.