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Quit your screamin' Lady....
I'm just a little Aphid tryin' to have a nice
"peaceful" lunch here on your pretty little plant!"
Geezzzzzzzzzz!!! Get a Grip!!!!!
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Hmmmm.....APHIDS...the great "sucker" of life out of your plants!
Also known as Plant Lice, (Yuk....), Aphids are tiny pear shaped insects that can be found in many different colors depending on the species but for this writing they are normally black, green, yellow or white and they normally appear on plants in April and early May when the temperatures are cooler ( 65 - 80 degrees ) and we have plenty of moisture. However, this year with Ma Nature taking an "extended winter lunch break", they are still creating havoc in the garden.
It is a good idea to check your plants often during this time of year as Aphids are quite good at reproducing. "Each" Aphid can produce from 50-100 LIVE offspring "each week". Multiply that one out!! Over a few weeks time that's a bunch of tiny little mouths sitting there sucking the sap out of your plants.
A tell tale sign that your plant has Aphids is the curling of leaves.
In the early stages of infestation Aphids will normally be found on the undersides of leaves where they are protected not only from natural predators such as.....
the lovely Ladybug, but it also gives them good protection from the "elements" ( and insecticides ).
And, just like "Scale" that we discussed in a previous Newsletter, Aphids also secrete a sweet, sticky substance called Honeydew. This sweet honey dew attracts ants and because ants love this stuff they also will become protective of the aphids, oftentimes carrying them off to a better plant to suck on when the Aphids have done enough damage and/or the sap is running low.
This honeydew is easily noticed as a shiny substance on the leaves and will usually turn black as it is also fed on by Sooty Mold.
Now, if you want to know the best way to keep Aphids from getting on your plants I will tell you. Do NOT put any plants in your landscape!
Use only the plastic variety! I know.....HA HA!
Actually this is pretty true as Aphids can get on any number of different plants during this time of year. The best thing to do is to check them often and keep your landscape free from debris with good air circulation ( another reason to avoid over crowding ). If you do notice them early you can attempt to spray them off with a high stream of water from the garden hose but remember they are UP under the leaves and somewhat protected. You can also use insecticidal soaps or Pyrethrins but remember these will only kill what they hit.
If you decide on a stronger insecticide just be sure to use a "systemic" type so that it stays in the leaves waiting for any little guys you might have missed to take a gnaw.
A good "systemic" product to use would be that which contains the active ingredient Acephate or Malathion but do not use this on food crops.
Hint: Acephate is available for sale here at the Nursery.
Well that pretty much raps up my little dissertation on Aphids so until
you run into these little "suckers"........ remember the famous words
of Humphrey Bogart........
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"Here's lookin' at you kid!!"
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