So, after harassing her husband to build her some beds for her garden and mapping out what she wanted to plant, how many plants she wanted to plant, where she wanted to plant, setting up the water system, and fertilizing, Mary’s garden is well on its way to producing all of her favorite fruits and veggies. Even after all of her careful planning, the one thing that Mary didn’t prepare for was the one thing that could derail all of her gardening efforts. The aphid.
Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects that seem to find their way into every garden. On a mission to feed on the nutrient-rich liquids found in the plants in your garden, aphids take up residence, invite their friends, and before you know it, they are throwing a giant aphid bash at the expense of your perfectly planned, perfectly planted garden.
Measuring less than 1/4 inch, they aren’t the easiest to see, but once they get all their buddies together, they can do some serious damage to the plants before you even realize they are there. Their mouths pack a one-two punch of piercing the leaves and then sucking out the plant sap. Yellow, curled up, or deformed leaves are a few indicators that aphids have been feasting on the fruit of your hard labor.
That’s One Big Family Reunion!
With over 4,000 species of aphids, they can be found in a variety of colors, including, white, black, brown, gray, yellow, light green, and even a lovely shade of pink. Their pear-shaped bodies sometimes have a wax-like coating or they might be rockin’ something that resembles a wool-like coat. They’ve got long antennae sticking out of their fronts and strange short tubes sticking out their rears.
Baby aphids look like their mamas, weird tubes and all, and because they can reproduce quickly, there could be lots of babies and mamas in a very short amount of time. Mamas can either give birth to live babies or they can lay their microscopic eggs in the soil where they are tucked in safe until those babies can make a grand entrance.
Aphid Damage
While aphids aren’t harmful to humans, in fact, if you are feeling a little hungry, aphids are totally edible, and depending on the plants they’ve been eating, they can range from slightly bitter to sweet flavored. If that is your jam, who am I to judge. The most harm they do is spreading viruses from one plant to another, and they have the ability to transmit dozens of viruses from one diseased plant to a healthy one in a matter of a few seconds.
How To Get Rid of Aphids
Given their rapid rate of reproduction and the fact that many generations of aphid babies are produced each season, it is important to get rid of them as soon as possible Things can get out of hand very quickly if the aphid reproduction party goes left untreated. Have no fear though, when it comes to making your garden aphid-free, we’ve got you. HowToPest.com can take care of even the most extreme aphid infestations and help Mary grow far more than just Silver Bells and Cockle Shells. Shop all aphid control products here!
