Aphidsare one of the most numerous and diverse groups of insects that threaten our plants. These bugs can be found on a variety of plants, both in ornamental and vegetable-fruit gardens, as well as on balcony and home flowers. It is therefore worth getting to know the bestways to combat aphids , both natural, safe for the environment and highly effectiveinsecticidal spraying on aphids , among which we can also find safe products, e.g. for bees.
Aphids on garden plants usually appear in great numbers, in large clusters
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Aphids - how to recognize them?
Commonaphids found in gardensassociate everyone with a small (approx. 1-2 mm), green and wingless insect with a characteristic spindle-shaped body. However, this is only one of the forms in which they occur.The appearance of aphids can vary significantlydepending on the type of host they feed on and the stage of development.
The main differenceis the color of the body. The body of the aphids can resemble the following colors:
- black(e.g. beetroot aphid),
- white(cortical protein),
- light yellow(rose grass aphid, raspberry aphid),
- dark aquamarine(lilac aphid),
- orange or pink(acid aphid),
- navy blue(currant aphid).
Some aphids have an additional pattern on the back(e.g. birch appendix). Depending on the stage of development, they are wingless or winged.
Most aphids produce different substances. Most often it issticky discharge (honey dew, honeydew) , which is a by-product of the food you eat. It attracts the ants for which it is a delicacy. In return for this sweet nectar, the ants protect the aphids from predators.The fallout from aphidsunfortunately also promotes the occurrence of fungal infections on plants.
Someaphids produce a white fluff-like substanceon the needles or shoots of the affected plant (cortex, spruce-larch spruce) or on the root (juniper aspen). Under such cover, pests quietly feed throughout the growing season.
Under favorable conditionsaphids reproduce very quickly , form colonies, and over time migrate to new plants.
The aphid life cycleis quite interesting . This pest can reproduce in two ways:
- sexually(male and female - winged individuals);
- by virgin birth(no fertilization - only non-winged females).
The reproductive maturity of the aphid is reached after a few days.The winged insect may have a different color than its larva(e.g. the cortex - the winged form is black and the larva is white).
Beet aphid on a rose shoot
Fig. © Katarzyna Józefowicz
The first breeding of the aphidby male and female takes place at the end of the growing season and leads to the laying of wintering eggs. Usually only the fertilized eggs survive the winter, and not all of them. The eggs are tiny, dark and shiny.The aphid lays them near the buds or other convenient places on the plant
This information isimportant for the process of controlling aphids in gardens , because they are one of the very important treatments are oil sprays performed in the early spring, the purpose of which isdestroying wintering aphid eggs
In spring, the larvae of aphids develop from eggsand during the growing season, they reproduce very intensively by virgin birth. They can spend even several generations during this time. At a certain time, male and female winged individuals begin to appear in the colony, re-starting sexual reproduction before the winter period.
Bawełnica blueberry on apple trees
Fig. forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
There is also a significantdependence of aphids on the plants they feed on . In this respect, aphids can be divided into two groups:
- single-house aphids , which only need the plant they feed on for the entire development cycle;
- double-house aphidswhich spend part of their lifecycle on one plant and then move on to the next.
The Polish name for a given aphid, usually indicates whether it is a one- or two-house aphid. For example,the fir adhesion only feeds on the shoots and needles of firs , spending its entire life cycle on this plant. He also lays eggs and hibernates on fir trees.
An example of a two-house aphid is the hawthorn-carrot aphidIts winter (primary) host is hawthorn, but in spring it leaves it very quickly and is transferred to a secondary host such as celery plants (e.g. carrots) and feeds on it for several generations. Then, at the end of summer, some of the insects, winged females and males, are transferred back to the original host, where the females lay the fertilized eggs for the winter and thus complete the development cycle.
White raid and aphids on the pine tree
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
There are unfortunately also exceptions in the terminology of aphids. For example,beetroot aphid feeds not only on beets , but also on many other plants, and hibernates on the primary host, which is, among others, euonymus.
The development of double-house aphidsis favored by the bad neighborhood of plants that are hosts for these pests.Therefore, it is worth taking a close look at the pest that has threatened our plant, check what type of aphid we are dealing with, and then get acquainted with its preferences. and only then let's look for additional features. What will it do for us? Well,
knowing what plants are the primary hosts of aphids, we can remove them from the close vicinity(e.g. weeds) or remember to use an appropriate preparation at the right time to protect this species of host plant .
It sprouts in the form of galls on conifers' twigs is also an effect of the presence of aphids - occipitals
Fig. Aleksandra Dziugan-Smoleń
Aphid feeding symptoms
The list of damage, destruction or deformation caused by aphids is quite long. Affected plants often have a reduced resistance to low temperatures.Of courseall aphids suck the juices from plantsThey weaken the growth of the plant and damage its tissue. This can lead to necrosis, chlorosis and corticosteroids, and sometimes viruses are also transmitted.
Sometimesaphids create shelters for themselves that spoil the appearance of the plant . Examples of such aphid hideouts are:
- galls on the shoots of conifers(ocher aphids),
- spirally twisted sprouts on the petioles(twisted pair hypertrophy),
- sprouts on the leaves in the shape of red insets(elm-sedge cotton),
- red-colored bulges of the leaf blade(currant-purgatory aphid).
The leaves on which the aphids feedare often twisted, discolored, and sometimes fall to the ground without even changing color. Larch and spruce needles turn yellow and bend (larch-spruce bend).Aphids also weaken the development of buds, they cause deformation of fruit buds, sometimes shoots or buds die off.
On the sweet honeydew secreted by aphids , seed-like fungi develop, which impede the photosynthesis of the plant. Due to so many
damage caused by aphidsand such a large number of them, it is important to keep them in our gardens as little as possible.
The methods of combating aphids can be divided into two groups :
- non-chemical control, which consists in preventing aphid raids and using natural preparations,
- chemical control in which insecticides are used for spraying.
Characteristically arranged in a row, black dots on pine needles are the eggs of the honey plant aphid
Fig. Aleksandra Dziugan-SmoleńCombating aphids - natural methods
In non-chemical control, based on natural methods, we can use ready-made natural preparations, such as: potassium soap with the smell of garlic, or the natural preparation Agrocover (available as a convenient 750 ml spray, obtained on the basis of an extract of algae), as well as liquid manure and extracts, which we can prepare ourselves, from plants such as: nettle, dandelion, garlic, yarrow, tansy.Proven recipes for this type of natural preparation for self-preparation are provided in the article : Liquid manure, decoction, infusion - ecological plant protection products.
Good to knowTo stocks and plant extracts prepared by yourself, it is worth adding potassium soap in the amount of 10-20 g per liter of slightly warmed water. After dissolving the soap and cooling the water, dilute the plant preparation in it. Potassium soap added to plant preparations creates a film on the surfaces of the sprayed plants, facilitating the adherence of the preparation and extending the protective effect.
Oil spraying , which is performed during the leafless period, usually at the end of winter or early spring, can also be included among the natural methods of controlling aphids. The purpose of these sprays is to destroy winter eggs and other forms of aphids overwintering on plants. It is recommended to spray fruit trees and shrubs, deciduous ornamental shrubs and conifers. Most often, paraffin oil spraying is performed, but you can also use ready-made horticultural preparations based on natural vegetable oil, such as Emulpar 940 EC or Agrocover.
Knowing the likes and dislikes of aphids , we can make sure that plants are in a good neighborhood in the garden. For example, vegetables from the celery group should be planned as far as possible from the hawthorn bushes (these plants are attacked by the two-home hawthorn-carrot aphid).Let's also remove the weeds that host aphids , such as quinoa - loved by the beetroot aphid. However, it is worth planting plants that repel aphids, such as, for example, garlic.
Ladybugs are our allies in the fight against aphids
Fig. pixabay.comHelpful in reducing aphids are alsouseful insects for which aphids are an attractive foodThese include common ladybugs, golden-eyed, midge-eaters and many others. In order to attract beneficial insects, let's try to include as many honey flowers as possible in our garden. It is also worth hanging yellow ribbons in the garden, which attract ladybugs.However, if we want to rely on predatory insects, we cannot destroy them with insecticidal spray. So let's hold off with it until all other measures (based on natural methods) fail.
Combating aphids - insecticidal spraying
Natural methods of protecting plants against aphidswork well as long as we use them preventively and regularly, and we combine several different methods (e.g.we perform oil spraying in the early spring, spraying plant slurry in the season and at the same time plant plants that repel aphids). However, when a large number of aphids appear on the plant and we want to intervene, natural spraying may turn out to be insufficient. Of course, it's worth trying first, but if the aphids continue to feed on plants, you may need to use insecticides.
Fortunately, andin this group of preparations there are those that are characterized by high safety of useand they can act selectively only on the pests they are combating.An example of a good spray against aphidsis Sanium System, whichhas a high safety profile against beesIt is possible thanks to the content of an "intelligent" active substance recognizing the differences in the structure of insect receptors.
Why choose Sanium System for spraying aphids:- combats aphids and other pests while having a very good safety profile for pollinating insects,
- it is a systemic agent that lasts longer than only contact preparations,
- after the active substance has been absorbed into the plant, it is resistant to weather conditions,
- As a systemic measure, it circulates throughout the plant along with the juices. Controls pests even on those parts of the plant that have not been sprayed or when the spraying has been imprecise,
- it can be used at home, in the garden and in the greenhouse,
- short grace period in vegetable cultivation - only 3 days
In addition to aphids,Sanium System also allows you to combat other pests , such as: scallops (scale, mealybug, bowl) and greenhouse whitefly. In addition to an efficient concentrate for the preparation of a solution used with a garden sprayer, it also has a ready version of Sanium AL spray, which is ideal for use in small potted and balcony crops.
Of course, apart from Sanium System, there are also many otherinsecticides effective in combating aphidsHowever, not all of them are characterized by such a high safety profile against beneficial insects. Other insecticides recommended for controlling aphids in gardens include: Karate Zeon 050 CS, Deltam, Mospilan 20 SP.
When spraying on aphids , we should also remember about the hosts of primary two-house aphids. Spray the host plants in spring, in the appropriate development period for the aphid. For example - spring sprays of euonymus will help us to control the beet aphid. We should also remember that insecticides should be used with special care, in accordance with the instructions for their use.Katarzyna Józefowicz
