Aphids Control

Aphids are tiny little insect pests that are found on houseplants, fruit trees, garden vegetables, etc. There are almost 4000 different species. These pests have a soft body which is about one-eighth of an inch in length. The body color can be brown, red, black, green or yellow depending on the species. Normally, these sap sucking insects are found in clusters, in areas like new succulent shoots of the plants. They are also found under the surface of the leaves and even below the ground roots. When there is a heavy infestation, it can cause extensive damage to the plant, where the leaves may curl up, wilt and inhibit plant growth. Therefore, steps should be taken when the infestation is still low to moderate scale.

Aphids Life Cycle

The aphids life cycle is quite unique. Most female aphids do not have to mate with the male counterparts for reproduction. During spring, females give birth to only nymphs in large numbers by hatching overwintering eggs. Within a week, these young nymphs will produce more live young nymphs. This process continues and their colony is formed. Later, a few of the females would develop wings and fly to other host plants and establish a new colony there. It is just before the onset of fall, that the sexual forms (that is males and females) of the aphids are developed which mate to lay overwintering eggs.

How Can Aphid Be Controlled?

Aphids can be controlled with, or without, the use of chemicals. Some of the methods that are popularly used to control aphids are as follows:

Method #1
The simplest method of aphid removal is washing off the infested tree with a strong stream of water. When there are aphids on houseplants, bring it outdoors and spray water on them, in order to get rid of the insects. This should be done daily, until the plants are free from aphids.

Method #2
You can prepare a pepper spray at home and use it for controlling aphids on plants. For this you will require 3 - 4 hot peppers, a few cloves of garlic and one quart of water. Mix all the three ingredients properly in a blender. Pour it in a spray bottle and apply it on the infested plants.

Method #3
Predatory ladybugs are widely used for aphid control naturally. You will be surprised to know that an adult ladybug can eat up almost 1000 aphids in just one day. They can be purchased from garden supply stores. Store the bag of ladybugs in the refrigerator for few hours. Water the garden or the plants where you want to release the bugs. Then release them in the evening time when it is dark. This method works well, even when the plants are badly infested by aphids.

Method #4
Use of insecticidal soaps is another effective treatment that can destroy aphids quickly. For this, prepare a mixture using one teaspoon of insecticidal soap, half teaspoon of horticulture oil and one quart of water. Pour the mixture in a spray bottle and apply it on those parts of the plant where these pests attack the most. Later, if required, you can wash off the soap with plain water. For root aphids control, you have to remove the houseplant from the soil and submerge it into the soap solution for 2-3 minutes and then put it back to the soil. In the next one week, make sure that the plant is not over watered or else all the chemicals will be washed out of the roots.

The best way of aphids control is to prevent the plant from aphids attack. This can be done by thorough checking of the plants for signs of infestation. You can identify aphids with their pear shaped bodies and two antennae like projections near the forehead. Another sign of presence of aphids on the plants is a sticky fluid known as honeydew, which is secreted by the pests in large amount. These goo drips can be found on the plants, as well as the area around the plant and tend to attract a lot of ants.