Aphids

About Aphids

Half of the battle with any insect pests in the garden is firstly finding or observing them before they wreak complete havoc. The next challenge is to identify them correctly, before you can finally find the most effective way of eradicating or controlling them. Some insect pests are large and mobile, others are nocturnal while some are microscopic. These factors all test your powers of observation.

One of the most common and easily identifiable garden insect pests is aphids, also known as greenfly or blackfly, depending on their colour. There are many different colour variations amongst the numerous species that abound in the garden. Aphids attack most garden plants and are usually found in large colonies on the new growth tips, flower buds or on succulent foliage. They are particularly prevalent during early spring and into the summer season, sucking the sap from plants and causing malformed flowers and foliage. Many other plant diseases are transmitted by these wily little creatures.

Aphids are mostly immobile, but some do grow wings when colonies become overcrowded or host plants begin to show signs of stress and wilting. This allows them to move off and seek new plants to colonise. They are usually easy to control with one of the numerous different insecticides registered for use on these pests. However, there are also various different insects that prey on aphids, including ladybirds and praying mantis. This always creates a dilemma in the minds of gardeners as many beneficial insects can be harmed by injudicious spraying. The final call always rests with the individual.

Aphid control Products on the Market

There are many products on the market to help control aphids when you have an infestation. You also get products that are specific with controlling pests on different plants so look out for them at your local garden centre. Choosing an organic pest control will help ensure you don’t also harm beneficial insects.

Don’t forget that ants and aphids often have a symbiotic relationship. Aants protect the aphids from predators and aphids in turn provide the ants with a sugar rich sticky liquid called honeydew. So, you will also need to control the ants.

Biological Aphid control methods

There is another way of controlling pest populations in the garden besides using a pesticide. This is known as biological pest control and involves beneficial insects. The thought is that you attract beneficial insects that will feed on pests. The most well-known example of biological pest control is attracting ladybirds to feed on aphid larvae, thereby controlling aphid populations.

You can also use companion planting methods to grow specific plants that repel or trap pests. An example would be to plant Nasturtiums. They grow easily and attract aphids, drawing them away from other plants. Once infested with pests, you can pull the plant out or cut it down to ground level. Just make sure you don’t throw the infested plant on the compost heap.