Aphids Control

Aphids are known by a host of names that include plant lice, greenflies, black flies and or whiteflies. Whatever name you may call them, they are universally known to be a very common pest capable of causing significant damage to plants. They are in essence sap suckers and belong to the Aphidoidea super-family. Widely believed to be a successful group of organisms, these minute creatures are the cause for many a farmers despair and frustration, regardless of geographic location although they are most common in temperate climates.

Thankfully though they have a series of natural enemies. These include lady beetles, hoverfly larvae, and types of wasps, spiders and fungi. Knowing these natural enemies does help in aphids control. However actual aphids control can be more complex and you'll need to rely on more than these pest's natural enemies.

One key element of aphids control is early detection. Therefore it is advisable to be constantly be on the lookout for warning signs of an aphid attack. For starts start looking for these pests on the underside of leaves as well as on and around tender leaves. You will probably notice a slight yellowing of tender leaves if they are under attack. The underside of leaves could also bring your attention to possible infestations. When you notice the pests on your plants the best way to deal with them is to spray a strong current of water on them and blast them off the surface of the leaves or affected areas. If water on its own doesn't seem to be doing the trick trying a mix of soap and oil mixed with insecticidal soap and horticultural oil.

If the infestation is more serious you may want to resort to buying bags of lady beetles who love to gorge on these minuscule but destructive pests. However make sure you release them on to your vegetation towards the evening when hungry birds are not likely to feed on the beetles.

Another action to engage in aphids control is the planting of other types of plants that lure aphids. Plants such as asters, mums, hollyhocks and begonias are much loved by these pests. By having these plants in close proximity to the plants you want protected you can have the aphids now attacking the luring plants instead the plants you want safe. However there is no one trusted and proven method for aphids control. This is why a combination of all or some of the methods mentioned herein is your best bet at aphids control. If you are looking are a more large scale plantation that is under an attack from these pests you may need to look at more effective methods such as chemical based pesticides. While these are not particularly environmentally friendly the extent of your plantation may dictate the type of action you need to take when considering aphids control.