How to control aphidsAphids |

Hi, my name is: Aphid. If you would like to know more about how to control aphids, read this interview with me:

Describe yourself: I’m a real softy, small in size (around 2 – 3mm), with a shiny, transparent green or yellow body! I occasionally dress up in a white, woolly coat. I’m rarely seen on my own as I hang out in a pretty big group! A particular version of me, the cabbage aphid, is more grey and particularly loves brassicas in winter.

Hobbies: Multiplying!!! Sucking sap; exuding honeydew; hanging out with ants which are attracted to the honeydew, encouraging sooty mould and passing viruses from plant to plant. You’ll often find yellow patches from these viruses on infected leaves.

Likes: Yellow flowers, warm moist environments, succulent new growth of just about every kind of plant (I really love roses, heaps of veggies, annuals and citrus trees).

Dislikes: Chives, coriander, garlic, onions, petunias and radishes. Soaps – like home made chilli soap, neem oil (Azadarachtin). Don’t get along with Ladybirds or Lacewings, Braconid Wasps, Hover Flies or Praying Mantis! Oh, and I hate sticky traps! These predatory insects seem to be attracted by companion plants like Alyssum, Yarrow and Dill.

You’ll know you’ve met me when: all your plants’ new growth is seriously malformed; there are heaps of ants on the stems or plant parts are sticky from my honeydew. Oh, and yucky black sooty mold soon appears!

Breaking up ain’t hard to do… if you:

Squash me and my mates by hand. It’s icky but effective! Or pay your neighbours’ kids to do the deed- they love squashing us! In my death throes I emit a chemical signal that makes the other aphids take off quick smart!
Stop my ant friends from coming around by growing tansy or other ant repellent plants! Ants tend to our every need and protect us from garden bullies. Without their protection we are very vulnerable to being eaten!
Irritate me by putting a flattened square of aluminium foil around the base of plants to bounce light on the undersides of leaves.
Spray me with a home made garlic or chilli soap. Or make an insecticidal soap (2ml liquid Castille soap per 100 ml water) and target the underside of leaves. Some claim that including mint tea in the water can also be helpful.
Suck me off with a vacuum cleaner.
Spray your plants’ leaves with a strong jet of water (either with a hose or kitchen spray bottle) and knock me and my mates right off our perch!
Provide a bright yellow plastic dish, half filled with water, near my preferred plants. I can’t resist yellow things, but I can’t swim either! You can work out the rest!