Protect Gardens from Aphids; Upcoming Appearances
I hope everyone had a good week and is looking forward to a fun April. I will be discussing how to keep these termites and ants from eating you out of house and home on Tuesday, April 7 at 7:30 Eastern on WFTX-FOX 4 in Fort Myers/Naples, Florida and on Thursday, April 9 between 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. on WTSP-CBS 10 in Tampa/St. Petersburg. WFTX’s website address is www.fox4now.com and WTSP’s website address is www.10connects.com.
Now that spring has sprung, it’s time to guard our gardens against one of the most pervasive pests: the aphid.
Aphids are the bane of gardeners large and small. There’s a variety of aphid for just about every plant, and in large numbers they can do hefty damage. They’ll cause leaves to curl and yellow, as well as to become distorted – and may do the most damage in warm weather, up to 80 degrees. Grown plants can withstand the damage, but it still warrants controlling. Aphids can also spread viruses among crops such as pumpkins, melons and cucumbers.
The small insect, which emits a sticky substance known as honeydew, has many natural predators, giving gardeners a choice other than a chemical attack. Insecticides will kill beneficial bugs right along with aphids.
Other insects, ants in particular, may work to protect the aphid as their honeydew is a source of food. The presence of ants as well as insects that are the aphid’s natural predator – ladybugs and lacewings to name two – may be a clue that you have a large aphid population, according to the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program Online, a website that’s a great resource.
Check for aphids often, at least two times a week, to catch evidence of the insect before the population gets out of hand. Aphids become more difficult to control when damage appears, because they can take refuge from chemicals and predators behind the curling leaves. Before planting your garden, make sure to check surrounding plants and trees for aphids. If you find any, clip leaves and discard them.
Ladybugs, lacewing and syrphid flies can help control aphids. (The offspring of lacewing, called aphid lions, have a voracious appetite for aphids). The best enemies are those that are native to your garden. But buying a batch of ladybugs from your local nursery may help control the population, even if they’ll tend to fly away in a few days.
There are other chemicals that can be used if these remedies don’t do the job. But hopefully, this is enough to give you a starting point.
Be safe, stay dry, and hope you all have a buzzing day! The Mousecar is riding around with his windows down, looking for more friends on Facebook (Truly Nolen Mousecar) and tweeps on Twitter (@TrulyNolen) – interested?
Barry The Bug Guy
Tags: Aphids, Protect Gardens
