DESCRIPTION:
Small, soft-bodied piercing sucking insects that thrive in cold weather. They are 1/16 of an inch long and come in a variety of colors including green, yellow, and black.
DAMAGE:
Aphids are found on the growing tips and buds of many annual plants and shrubs, where they suck the plant sap. They cause yellowing, wilting and leave a sticky residue. They weaken plant and spread diseases
MANAGEMENT:
- Nurture beneficial insects which feed on aphids including ladybeetles, lacewings, tiny parasitic wasps, etc. by not applying insecticides indiscriminately.
Look for aphid mummies. These are aphids that turn brown and harden up or freeze on the plant. Aphid mummies are caused by tiny parasitic wasps that lay their eggs within the aphid. The wasp egg hatches into a larva that feeds inside the living aphid.
When the wasp has about completed its life cycle it releases chemicals that cause the aphid to harden. Shortly afterwards, the wasp will emerge. Leave mummies alone; they will help take care of your aphid problems.
- Wash aphids off with a strong blast of water
- Spray aphids with Insecticidal Soap
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Image from "Insects: Springtails through Wasps and Bees",
CD Rom by Charles R Belinky, Ph.D.,
The Zane Home Library: Survey of the Animal Kingdom
http://www.zane.com
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