Aphids: The Tiny Bugs Eating Your Plants

As your spring plants begin to flourish, starving aphids will creep in and slowly break them down. Aphids have a big appetite for many types of flowers, vegetables, and fruit trees despite their teeny-tiny bodies. Your very own plants could fall victim to them. But luckily, you’ll be prepared to tackle them after reading our guide to aphids below. 

Identifying Aphids and Recognizing Signs

Aphids are some of the smallest pests that are easy to miss if you’re not looking for them. They come in various colors including white, brown, black, yellow, light green, or pink. They have pear-shaped bodies with long antennae and two tubes that protrude from their rear. Aphids are typically wingless but if their population becomes crowded, their species can develop wings over time. They then use the wings to easily find more sources of food. 

If you start to see any of the following on your plants, aphids could be the reason behind it: 

• Rolling of leaves
• Yellowing of leaves
• Sticky substance coating the stems and leaves of plants
• Deformed fruit or flowers
• Galls (abnormal growths) on leaves, roots, or flowers

Overall Effect of Aphids

In addition to the rolling and yellowing leaves, sticky substance, deformity of flowers and fruit, and the growth of galls, the presence of aphids can have even more negative effects on your plants and garden. Due to aphids feeding on them, plants can lose whole leaves and stop growing and developing completely. Worst of all, when feeding, they can transfer irremediable viruses from plant to plant. 

Control and Management 

There are several things you can try to do your own pest control to combat aphid activity They include:

• Getting rid of weeds (where aphids often lay their eggs)
• Adding plants that repel aphids
  • Catnip
  • Nasturtiums
  • Garlic and chives
• Spraying a rubbing alcohol and water mixture on your plants
• Using insect nets to cover your plants
• Using horticultural oil as a repellent

Need More Help With Aphids?

It can be frustrating when you have bugs destroying plants you’ve worked so hard to grow and manage. Insectek offers more advice and a helping hand to those of you who are trying to fight off aphids. Get in touch with us for more information!