APHID

 

Aphids are pests because they pierce juicy leaves with their mouth parts and suck out the sap. When plants are unhealthy, they form gray fuzzy blobs on their leaves and vegetables.

 

How do I keep aphids away?

 

Healthy, airy, sunny, well-spaced gardens are aphids’ enemies. It’s okay to have some aphids in your garden because they are an important food source for beneficials. If you don’t have pests, beneficials won’t come!

​

What do I do if I have tons of aphids?

                                                                                                                               

Try spraying cold water on the leaves. Sometimes all that’s needed is a cool blast to knock aphids off the plant. Often they will not find their way back to the same plant. If you have a large aphid invasion, wipe or spray the leaves of the plant with a mild solution of water and a few drops of biodegradable dish soap. This should be reapplied every two or three days for two weeks. The fatty acids in the soap dissolve the insects' exoskeleton, causing them to dehydrate.

 

Factoids

 

Aphids can be winged or wingless. They often become winged when the plants they live on run out of space. This leads to the creation of a winged generation of aphids that can fly off to find food.