It’s pretty common for gardeners to encounter problems with pests. Aphids are one of them. Nothing is more devastating than seeing your beloved plants succumb to attacks by harmful insects and organisms. That’s why you should learn how to combat these pests and get rid of them at the onset of their appearance.
But first, let’s understand the nature of this specific pest known as aphids.
What are Aphids?
Aphids are one of the common plant pests that can damage vegetables, ornamentals, and trees by sucking the sap of their tender leaves. They are tiny, usually invisible to the naked eye unless they’ve already reproduced in many numbers. On a closer look, aphids have soft, pear-shaped bodies. Their color can range from white, brown, green, red, and black, depending on their species.
Aphids have a fast growth rate. A young aphid called a nymph can develop into an adult ready to reproduce in just a matter of 7 to 10 days. They could reproduce even without a mate resulting in about 80 offspring. Aphid infestation could result in severe plant damage or even death if not controlled.
Damages Caused by Aphids
Although most aphid infestations couldn’t kill a mature plant, they can leave certain damages that could result in a reduction in yield (agricultural crops) or loss of vigor and aesthetic value (ornamentals). Let’s discuss this further:
Create leaf damages
Since they are sap-sucking creatures, they leave lesions on the leaf surface. Such lesions could further lead to the yellowing or browning of the entire leaf. It may also cause leaf curling, further affecting the plant’s ability to photosynthesize its food.
Cause shoots to stunt
Aphids compete with plants for nutrients and food. They suck the plant’s sap which contains the photosynthates (or sugar) that the plant produced for itself. The lack of these resources can interrupt the growth and development of the plant.
Encourage the growth of fungus
Colonies of aphids produce a sugar-rich liquid known as honeydew. This is the waste that they excrete from sap-sucking. Honeydew deposits attract ants and encourage the growth of a fungus known as sooty mold.
Injects toxins into the plant
As aphids have needles to suck sap, they’re also very capable of injecting toxins into the plant system. These toxins can lead to gall formation as well as leaf deformation.
Transmit virus and other pathogens
Aphids can also act as vectors that could transmit other disease-causing organisms from one plant to another. Some aphids have wings that they can fly from a diseased plant to a healthy one, bringing with them pathogens.
Five Ways to Properly Manage Aphids
There’s no single way to manage aphids. You would need to make a combination of the following practices to control this pest.
Regularly monitor the plant
Monitoring your plant regularly is essential. Always check the undersides of the leaves and spot any present organisms. You can find aphids mainly on the young and tender portions.
Prune the infested or damaged leaves
It’s best to remove heavily infested parts such as leaves or flowers. This significantly cuts down the aphids’ population, preventing them from spreading over to the other parts.
Use horticultural oils and insecticidal soap
Using organic pesticides such as horticultural oils and insecticidal soap works well in eliminating aphids. You can create a solution containing neem oil, water, and liquid soap and spray it on areas with aphids.
Introduce biological control
Biological control includes the introduction of living organisms that serve as natural predators that feed on aphids. This includes lady beetles, lacewings, syrphid flies, and parasitic wasps.
Keep the area clean and free of weeds
Weeds can serve as a temporary home for aphids from where they can resource food. Eliminating weeds around the area will help remove their resources and starve them eventually.
FAQs
Aphids won’t kill the plants in a low to moderate population. They’re also easier to manage this way. Once they grow in large populations, they become damaged and may kill the plants.
Be consistent in dealing with them. Use a combination of biological, mechanical, and chemical treatments to eliminate aphids permanently.
Aphids can reproduce fastly. From being a young nymph, it can develop into adulthood in just about a week. Once it becomes an adult, it will produce 80 more offspring in another week.
References
- Aphids on Greenhouse Crops – The University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Integrated Pest Management (I.P.M.) for Aphids – College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences
