Interesting facts about aphids. Dangerous garden plot pests - aphids Insects similar to aphids

Now let's figure out what aphids look like. This is a small insect whose body length is several millimeters. Depending on the species, the body will be painted a certain color. In garden plots, aphids are most often found in green, white, red and black colors. An insect can be winged or wingless. Winged individuals quickly spread throughout the territory and contribute to the change of host plant, while wingless ones mainly reproduce.

On a note! Based on what aphids feed on, it’s easy to imagine the damage they can cause to agricultural land!

Reproduction

Now it’s worth considering how aphids reproduce. In autumn, females lay eggs on plants and they calmly survive the winter on them. In the spring, larvae emerge from the eggs and immediately begin to actively feed on the juices of their “host”. Having passed the molting stage, young individuals give birth to wingless females without fertilization.

On a note! As a result of parthenogenetic reproduction, in just a month, one female can become the ancestor of three generations, which will number several hundred thousand insects!

Closer to autumn, the production of winged males begins. They return to their “host”, on which the females lay eggs again.

Aphids belong to insects with incomplete metamorphosis, that is, they do not have a pupal stage. Some species reproduce without laying eggs - viviparity. Living larvae are formed parthenogenetically, and their embryonic period exceeds the life span of aphids, so females are born already pregnant.

Most common types

As mentioned above, there are about 4 thousand species of aphids. It is not possible to consider all of them, so we will pay attention to those that occur most often.

What is the danger?

The damage caused by aphids can be quite widespread, especially if you do not notice this pest in time and do not start fighting it.

Who eats aphids? The most well-known natural enemies include:

• ladybug larvae;
• lacewing larvae;
• larvae;
• crickets;
• cicadas;
• ground beetles;
• earwigs;
• rider.

And in order for these insects to help you in the fight against aphids, it is enough to attract them to your site by planting certain varieties of plants along its perimeter.

And finally, we invite you to familiarize yourself with some interesting facts about aphids:

Aphids are considered one of the most malicious and dangerous garden pests. This insect in all its varieties easily occupied green spaces: from garden crops and flowers to fruit trees, to which it causes enormous damage.

What are the armies of such numerous insects? What methods of solving the problem are most effective?

What are aphids?

Externally, these are small insects of black or green color, from one to five millimeters in size, with an ovoid body, soft and easily crushed, thin legs, elongated mouthparts, thickened in front. Aphids live on fruit trees, the undersides of leaves, stems, and tops of shoots; they mercilessly suck out plant juice with their proboscis. Along the way, the insect secretes a poison that causes leaves to curl, deform, die off, shoots to stop growing, and tops to bend. In addition, sweet masses contaminate the leaf surface, thereby disrupting the normal functioning of plants and causing their death.

The created conditions of increased sugar content are an optimal environment for the development of black sooty mildew - a dangerous viral disease that interferes with the process of photosynthesis and inhibits already weakened plants. Insects cause the greatest damage to fruit tree seedlings.

What are aphids and why do they reproduce so quickly? A wingless female aphid only needs one fertilization to then produce numerous offspring every two weeks for six months (which is about fifty generations during the summer season).

How to detect the presence of aphids on the site

Determining what an aphid is and recognizing its appearance is quite simple:

• colonies of such an insect are visible to the naked eye - they are located on the shoots of the plant, on the underside of the leaves;
• the affected parts of the plants are covered with honeydew - a sticky liquid secreted by aphids;
• the leaves of the plant are curled and dry out, the flower buds do not open, and the fruits stop developing.

Troubleshooting

Fighting such a pest is extremely difficult, because insects multiply very quickly, creating numerous colonies. Aphids can be removed by hand or washed off with a powerful water jet from a hose. In the vicinity of garden crops that are susceptible to aphid attacks, it is recommended to plant onions and garlic that repel this pest.

Natural predators of aphids include ladybugs, some species of wasps, hoverflies, lacewings and small birds. To attract such rescuers, it is recommended to plant fragrant herbs, green manure and nettles on the site. Birds and insects may not be able to completely destroy pest colonies, but their help will not be superfluous.

Traditional methods

An effective remedy for aphids is herbal decoctions and infusions. They are not chemicals, however, in strong concentrations they can cause burns to the plant, and in addition to aphids, they pose a danger to other types of insects. Therefore, it is recommended to use them carefully, having first tested the effect on a limited area of ​​land. Control of aphids on fruit trees with plant solutions is recommended during the budding period, after flowering and before harvesting, no later than 2-4 weeks.

Garlic infusion

To prepare it through a press, you need to pass five cloves of garlic, which you need to leave for 4-5 days in half a liter of water, then combine with 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil and a teaspoon of liquid soap. The resulting preparation should be sprayed on plants affected by aphids.

Chamomile infusion

Infuse 100 grams of dried chamomile inflorescences and leaves in 1 liter of water for 12 hours. Spraying is carried out in a ratio of 1:3 with the addition of 4 grams of soap for each liter of infusion.

Dandelion infusion

Leave 200 grams of roots and 400 grams (during its flowering period) in a bucket of water for about 4 hours.

Tobacco infusion

In 5 liters of water, infuse 200 grams of dried and crushed tobacco leaves for 2 days. Bring the volume of the drug to 10 liters, strain.

Pine infusion

Soak 1 kg of pine needles in 4 liters of water for 24 hours.

Potato infusion

Grind 1 kg of potato tops, leave for 3 hours in a 10-liter bucket of water.

Soap and tomato tops against aphids

Commonly used are vegetable oil and soap, the viscous consistency of which, combined with the enveloping properties of the oil, interfere with the insect’s respiratory process. Plants should be sprayed in the evening every few days.

An infusion of crushed tomato leaves (2 cups), which is recommended to be soaked overnight in water (2 cups), is considered quite effective. The resulting infusion must be filtered, poured into a container from which to spray the unwanted guest.

Aphids are considered one of the most harmful plant pests. In spring, they occupy young shoots of plants or settle on the undersides of leaves. By sucking the juice of green plants, aphids dry out the fresh shoots, which eventually die.

In addition, this type of pest, being a carrier of viral diseases, contributes to the formation of galls on the leaves. They lead to weakening of plants, which often leads to their death.

What is a pest?

Aphids belong to a group of insects that has approximately 4,000 species. All of them are distinguished by their miniature size (0.5-2 mm) and the characteristic structure of the oral apparatus, which has the shape of a proboscis. Adult insects have long legs. Their body is slightly elongated, oval in shape. The color can be different: black, green, brown, beige or red. In some cases, it has the same color as the plant on which the aphid has settled.

The insect's body is soft, transparent, and sometimes has a waxy coating. Aphids do not live alone, but in large colonies. There are wingless and winged species of these pests.

Females very often do not have wings, so they constantly live on one plant, performing the main function - reproduction. Winged individuals spread very quickly, so it is difficult to fight them.

Most female aphids are endowed with a special type of reproduction, which consists of the development of an embryo without fertilization. Larvae hatch from eggs or appear by viviparity. Females are extremely fertile - within just two weeks, each of them gives birth to up to 150 larvae.

Signs of plants infected with aphids

In addition to the fact that insects can be seen with the naked eye, the infection of plants by aphids is indicated by the deformation of leaves, tops of shoots and the appearance of sweet secretions (honeydew) on them. After a while, a sooty fungus appears on them.

When crawling ants appear near plants, you must check whether the bushes are infected with aphids. They are usually attracted to the honeydew secreted by aphids. In addition, aphids are protected by ants, receiving sugar-containing secretions in return.

Affected plants differ from healthy ones by curled yellow leaves that form nodules. Flower buds stop developing or produce deformed flowers. Mature leaves become covered with a sticky coating that forms a coating. Aphids cause particular damage to carnations, roses, and forced bulbous crops.

Use of chemicals

Manufacturers offer a huge number of chemicals that help fight aphids that have occupied vegetable or garden crops:

1. Karbofos (Malathion) is an effective remedy with which you can quickly get rid of not only aphids, but also flies, fleas, mosquitoes, ants, bedbugs and cockroaches. In stores, this drug is provided by the drug “Fufanon”. The bottle contains 10 ml of the substance, which must be diluted in water (10 l) before treatment.
2. Aktara (Thiamethoxam) is a broad-spectrum drug. With its help you can get rid of aphids and ants for a long time.
3. Intavir - effectively fights aphids. Available in tablet form. The consumption rate of the drug is 1 tablet per 0.6 liters of water. Since Intavir has a nerve-paralytic effect on insects, the result can be seen within 20-25 minutes. after processing.

How to get rid of aphids on currants?

Aphids love to settle in unopened currant buds. Pests inhibit the development of the plant by eating the core and tightly gluing unblown leaves together. Therefore, insect control can only be effective if aphids on currants are quickly detected.

Even better is to prevent its occurrence. This needs to be taken care of in the fall. It is necessary to collect and burn plant debris, and also dig up the ground around the bushes before frost.

If there are anthills, you need to treat them with a special product, then collect the remains and burn them. When ants settle in the ground, you can fight them with boiling water. This rather old method of fighting is considered safe and effective.

The first treatment of shrubs against aphids should be carried out immediately after the snow melts. Dormant buds should be scalded with boiling water. The main thing is to choose the right moment when the aphids begin to leave their winter shelters. It is important to remember that if you are late with processing, you can harm the plant.

Aphids on roses

Most varieties of roses do not tolerate chemical treatments well. Therefore, gardeners try to use folk remedies to combat any types of pests. Massive damage to flowers is usually observed during the formation of tomato bushes and pruning of shoots on winter types of garlic. The waste from these plants can be used to make an infusion against pests.

To do this, the green mass is crushed, filled with water and placed in a warm place. After infusing it for 24 hours, the liquid must be filtered and the rose bushes treated. You can fight aphids on roses with a decoction of onion peels.

To do this, you need to pour boiling water over a small amount of raw material. To make the infusion stick better to the leaves, you can add a small amount of soap to it. It is better to carry out processing in dry, windless weather in the evening. The result can be assessed the very next day.

How to remove aphids from indoor plants?

In case of slight infestation of flowers by insects, folk remedies for aphids are usually used - they will not harm either plants or people. To combat aphids on indoor plants, the following methods are usually used:

• treating affected areas with a solution prepared based on laundry soap;
• Coating the leaves with a brush with a solution of kerosene and water. This procedure should be carried out in a ventilated room. Some time later, you should wash the leaves of the plants with running water;
• treatment of diseased bushes with infusions of fragrant plants: tobacco, tomatoes, celandine or wormwood.
• spraying with one of the infusions made from garlic, ash and aromatic soap;
• treatment with infusion of citrus peels. You can simply dry them and put them in a flowerpot with an infected plant. This method is often used to control aphids on orchids.

If traditional methods do not help get rid of aphids on flowers, then you need to resort to the use of chemicals that can be purchased at a specialty store.

How to fight aphids on cucumbers?

Cucumber bushes affected by aphids develop poorly, bloom and produce poor yields. If you do not start processing in a timely manner, traditional methods will not give results, and using chemicals during fruiting is dangerous and unacceptable.

The easiest way to combat aphids on cucumbers is vinegar. To prepare the solution, you need to dilute 9% table vinegar (1 tbsp) in water (1 l). For processing you need to use a sprayer. It is best to carry out the treatment in the evening.

An effective method is dry mustard powder scattered in places where ants appear. In addition, mustard solution can be used to treat cucumber bushes. To do this, 10 g of raw material must be dissolved in water (1 liter) and a little soap (preferably liquid) added there.

You can spray cucumbers with a solution of tar soap. To prepare it, you will need to grate a bar of soap (100 g) on ​​a coarse grater and dilute it with water (10 l). The treatment should be carried out only after the soap is completely dissolved in water.

According to many gardeners, an effective way to control pests is spraying with garlic infusion. To prepare it, you need to peel the garlic (0.5 kg) and chop it finely. After this, add water (3 l) and one sprig of celandine. The solution must be infused for 5 days in a closed container. To spray cucumbers, add a small amount of liquid soap to the strained infusion.

Aphids on bell peppers

There are ways that are safe for humans to deal with aphids that have infected peppers, without the use of chemicals:

• spraying the bushes with a garlic solution prepared from garlic (100 g) and water (1 l), which should be filtered and diluted in 9 l of water a day after infusion;
• dusting pepper bushes with ash or tobacco dust. To ensure that the product adheres well to the stems and leaves, you need to spray the bushes with hot water before starting the procedure;
• spraying plants with infusion of onion peels. It’s simple to prepare: you need to chop onions (30 g) together with the peel and fill it with water (1 l). After 5 hours of infusion, you should strain the solution and, adding a couple of drops of liquid soap to it, begin processing.

If there are aphids on tomatoes

When aphids appear on tomatoes, they also most often resort to traditional methods of control. After all, they are completely safe for people, easy to prepare and washed off after the first rain. All treatments should be carried out in the morning, or better yet, in the evening.

Some of the most popular products are wood ash and soap. After such treatment, an alkaline environment is formed on the plants, which aphids cannot tolerate. To prepare the working solution, add crushed wood ash (300 g) to 10 liters of water and boil for half an hour. After this, the cooled product must be filtered and liquid soap (40 ml) added to it.

The fight against aphids on tomatoes can also be carried out using herbal infusions. For this purpose, plants containing alkaloids or bitterness are used. This could be, for example, pine needles or tobacco. To prepare the infusion, the greens are finely chopped and boiled in water for half an hour (proportion – 0.2:1). A few days after infusion, the resulting mixture must be squeezed out and strained. By adding water to obtain 10 liters, the solution can be used to spray infected plants.

Preventive measures

To avoid infestation of plants with aphids, you need to thoroughly inspect the planting material and seedlings before planting. To attract the attention of hoverflies, which destroy aphids, it is advisable to plant parsley, dill or carrots next to the beds. A good method to prevent aphids is to mulch paths with wood shavings. An earwig lives in it, for which aphids are one of the food sources.

To avoid aphid infestation, you need to ensure that ants do not appear in the garden. If they are identified, you must immediately take all necessary measures to get rid of them as quickly as possible. To repel aphids, you can plant thyme or lavender in flower beds, the smell of which aphids cannot tolerate.

Feeding plants should be done very carefully. You should not overfeed them with fertilizers, but you should also not allow the soil to become depleted - aphids prefer weak and overfed plants. Infestation by aphids can also be prevented by timely weeding, loosening the soil, and mulching it.

Aphids are certainly one of the ten most common, tenacious and annoying pests. These small insects feed on plant sap and can infect almost any part of them: leaves, stems, buds, flowers, roots. Aphids especially love young plants, which, as a rule, attack tender shoots and the underside of leaves. Visually, aphid infestation is easy to notice - in addition to the pests themselves, there is curvature and weakness of the shoots, downward curling of the edges of the leaf blade, and spots of black mold.

U aphids an oval soft body, with antennae on the head, and a pair of ovipositors at the end of the abdomen. Some individuals have underdeveloped wings, other copies wingless. Laying eggs aphid produces in the fall, the further development cycle will continue after wintering, in the spring. Offspring aphids becomes sexually mature already 7-8 weeks after birth.

It sucks juice from plants by piercing tissues with a hollow proboscis or the tip of an ovipositor. It feeds almost continuously and is capable of absorbing a fairly large volume of plant sap. Discharge aphids are a sticky, sweetish liquid fall . This is the one " honeydew"who is adored black ants– they protect aphid colonies. The parts of the plant become sticky, over time they develop spots black mold. Aphid colonies can move from plant to plant, carrying with their saliva viral diseases.

At my own dacha I don’t want to use it to combat aphids chemical. These connections are extremely toxic and cause harm not only aphids, but also other insects, birds, settle in the soil and become dangerous for plants and people. Therefore, let's consider other methods destruction aphids on a summer cottage.

Aphid fears plants with insecticidal properties - This Dolmatian chamomile, onion, garlic, calendula, wormwood. It is very good to plant these plants next to fruit bushes or other plantings which it is desirable to protect from aphids.

Question about attracting birds to the site to destroy aphids may be considered controversial: birds that feed aphids themselves and feed their chicks with it, of course, can significantly reduce the amount aphids, but they are the same applied by pecking fruits and berries.

Among insects natural enemies aphids are ladybugs (both adult insects and their larvae feed on aphids), ichneumon wasps, ground beetles, lacewings, some types of wasps, predatory bugs, surfflies. To attract them, fragrant plants are planted on the site ( parsley, dill, carrots and others), as well as green manure plants (buckwheat, mustard, clover, alfalfa).

To prepare a soap solution 300 g of laundry soap is dissolved in ten liters of water, the ground around the plant is covered with a film and the resulting solution is sprayed on the plant. The solution is suitable for use within a week; if one spraying fails to destroy all aphids, the procedure should be repeated.

Gives good results pollination of plants with crushed and sifted . This procedure is carried out early in the morning, while the dew has not yet dried, and in the evening, after preliminary spraying of the plants..

Used to combat aphids and celandine solution : Finely chop 5-6 young fresh plants, add 3 tablespoons of laundry soap shavings and leave it all in a bucket of warm water for up to 5 hours. The resulting infusion is filtered and young shoots and tops of plant branches are dipped into it..

Hot pepper infusion to kill aphids prepare as follows: 8-10 pods of red cayenne pepper are crushed together with seeds, add 50 g, pour one liter of boiled warm water and leave to infuse for a day. The finished strained solution is used for spraying plants - in addition to aphids, it is effective against beetle larvae, slugs, caterpillars, codling moths, garden bugs and thrips.

To prepare garlic infusion 5-6 cloves are passed through a press, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and half a liter of warm water are added, shaken well and left in a dark place for three days. 2-3 tablespoons of strained garlic infusion and 1 tablespoon of liquid soap are diluted in 1 liter of water, and the resulting solution is sprayed onto the plants..

Infusion of potato tops for spraying plants This is done like this: take 2 kg of chopped tops in a bucket of warm water, leave for 3-4 hours and filter.

Can be cooked infusion for spraying and from tomato tops : Half a kilo of green chopped tops is poured into a bucket of boiling water and kept on low heat for 30 minutes, allowed to cool and filtered. Before spraying, a glass of the resulting infusion is diluted with 1 liter of water..

Removing aphids from a site is a long process that requires patience and great effort on your part.. It is unlikely that it will be possible to solve this problem “in one fell swoop”; repeated treatments will be required. But this is how it is applied minimal damage to nature, and the gifts of your beds and garden will not be contaminated with dangerous chemicals».

Success in hard work and an excellent harvest!

One of the many insects that can cause significant damage to the plantations of your green wards is the common insect.

Different species are adapted to living on almost any ornamental or agricultural plant; it has the ability to reproduce quickly and easily spreads over a large area. Even indoor flowers may be at risk of contracting this disease. Aphids on plants have a detrimental effect on their growth and flowering. In addition, these pests are carriers of more than 100 species of phytoviruses and fungi, which complicate plant treatment.

Aphids are one of the oldest pests. These insects were found frozen in pieces of amber along with ants, which gives an idea of ​​the age of their families. Over the course of evolution, different individuals adapted to new plant species. This was greatly facilitated by their incredibly complex reproductive system, which allowed them to achieve phenomenal generational variability.

Most interesting facts:

• The insect aphid can reproduce both parthenogenetically, through viviparity, and sexually, laying eggs.
• Each species has at least two host plant species, one of which is necessarily perennial. Overwintering occurs only on perennial plants, so that the individuals hatching from the eggs have something to eat. For peach aphids, for example, the “winter” host is the peach tree, and the number of “summer” species is about 400. How aphids determine that this particular flower will bloom next year is unknown.
• Aphids in the ground can become a real natural disaster; If not controlled with insecticides, their rate of reproduction will allow them to easily destroy an entire field of beets in just a week.
• Black ants, common inhabitants of our latitudes, are actively engaged in “pastoralism”: they grow aphids, help them spread and look after them, protecting them from natural enemies. The reason for this is honeydew, a sweet liquid that aphids secrete during their life processes. It is used by ants for food.

What do aphids look like on plants?

The main signs of aphids:

• Curled tree leaves.
• The presence of a huge number of insects similar to aphids in the recesses and on the inside of the leaf.
• Sticky liquid covering leaves (honeydew).
• Drying tips of leaves and death of entire leaf blades.

How do aphids reproduce?

Aphids (Aphidinae) are the most common and, from a scientific point of view, the most interesting representative of the Homoptera family. More than 1,500 species have been found and described in our country, which are divided into 10 families. The entire suborder of Aphids is characterized by polymorphism - completely different functional individuals are formed in one population.

The separation of forms and reproduction of aphids occurs as follows:

But what does aphid look like and how can you distinguish it from other pests? Externally, different species differ in size and color. The color of the integument depends on the plant on which a particular species lives. For example, the blood aphid, also called the red aphid, is reddish in color, and it lives on apple trees, infecting young buds and leaves.

External structure

The adult form (imago) is tiny translucent bugs, the body of which can be rounded-oblong, teardrop-shaped or ellipsoidal. The size varies from 2 to 7 mm. Color depends on the species and even on the life cycle. The color is formed by the distribution of hemolymph and the pigmentation of the wax coating on the integument (an excellent example is the red gall aphid). They may have various outgrowths, tubercles, specific hairs, etc.

At the anterior, narrowed end of the body there is a small head with antennae directed towards the tail end. On the antennae there are so-called rhinaria - sensory receptors, similar in function to taste, and auditory receptors. The head also contains the organs of vision, represented by two compound eyes.

In wingless virgins they can be reduced, but in winged ones, on the contrary, there are three additional simple eyes.

The mouthparts are of the gnawing-proboscis type, making it possible to create holes in the leaves and suck out cell sap.

The structure of the chest is typical for representatives of Homoptera, but in the case of aphids, the form of the life cycle is important. Wings are present only in winged virgins; in other insects they are reduced. Six thin long legs are attached to the chest. Despite their size, aphids move very slowly.

Abdomen of 9 segments, the last one is underdeveloped. It has outlets for the respiratory, digestive and reproductive systems. The reproductive apparatus is located on the outermost segment.

Internal structure

Aphids feed on cell sap. A piercing long proboscis pierces the surface of the leaf, and all available liquid is sucked out. The main things an insect needs are amino acids and minerals. The resulting glucose and sucrose leave the digestive tract along with harmful waste products - this is honeydew.

INTERESTING! The leaves and opening buds affected by aphids curl, forming tubes where they continue to live and reproduce. This is especially true for fruit and pear aphids - they even have a second name: “twisting”. It is quite easy to identify a diseased tree by such leaves.

Reproduction occurs in two ways - viviparity and egg laying. Polymorphism makes it possible to perfectly adapt to changing environmental conditions and allows pests to live on the plant almost forever, repeating the life cycle again and again.

Viviparous females, when born, have in their reproductive tracts individuals already ready for independent life, which, in turn, also contain hundreds of embryos of varying degrees of development inside. Such a system allows the population to increase exponentially every day.

These pests are extremely specific: different species can only feed on the sap of certain plants. Even within a species, polymorphic forms (different forms of the same species) cannot feed on the same plant: for example, female founders can only drink the sap of the primary “winter” host.

Damage caused

Leaf destruction

In bulbous plants, as is known, the number of leaves is limited. Dying leaves decompose, causing healthy tissue to rot, especially in wet conditions. When all the leaves die, there will be no flowers or fruits. Most likely, the plant will simply die. To prevent this from happening, you need to choose the best drug against aphids!

Transfer of viruses and fungi

Aphids, traveling from plant to plant, carry hundreds of pathogens, phytoviruses and fungi. By damaging the leaves and filling all leaf pores with honeydew, it creates the most favorable conditions for the development of diseases.

IMPORTANT! If a plant is attacked by aphids, then the following diseases are possible: fucarosis, botrytosis, sooty fungus, leaf spot of bulbous plants - and this is only among fungal diseases that are treatable. When infected with viruses, the only way to combat it is to cull diseased plants!

Therefore, when fields are massively infested, it is often necessary to treat them not only with insecticides, but also with other drugs (depending on the diseases brought in). It is necessary to carefully monitor the main signs of infection.

Why are aphids dangerous for flowers?

Bulbous plants themselves are very resistant to pests that feed on cell sap. Most of these flowers belong to the monocot family, which have strong cell walls with a lot of cellulose. Many of the bulbous plants are poisonous, for example, to other types of insects, but this does not stop the aphids.

Aphids can attack both outdoor plants and indoor decorative flowers. In any case, an aphid attack leads to dire consequences.

In vegetable gardens, aphids are almost permanent residents. Very often even regular treatment with insecticides does not help. Plants wither, wither, leaves curl, buds do not open, as a result of which the harvest suffers.

Bulbous flowers are also at risk of over-infestation, especially at the very beginning of summer. You can read more about the fight against aphids in the garden!

Gardens with fruit trees, landscaped with flower beds of bulbous flowers, are a favorite habitat for aphids. Unfortunately, aphids are easily transported over long distances by air currents and first stop on trees - this is one of the many reasons why aphids appear.

For fruit aphids, bulbous flowers will be quite a suitable “summer” pasture. For a more complete introduction to methods for preventing the spread of aphids in the garden, you can read the corresponding one.

Flowers often begin to be grown much earlier than expected, in greenhouses. Beautiful hyacinths, arrows, amaryllis and daffodils grown for sale in early spring can become victims of pest attack.

A greenhouse is a kind of incubator where aphids can settle much earlier and reproduce more actively due to increased humidity and temperature. For infection, it is enough to release several winged females during ventilation, and within a week they can infect all the plants.

Control and prevention of aphids in greenhouses is an important element of early cultivation of bulbous plants; you can read about this in this article!

Ornamental bulbs grown in apartments and private houses, about which you can read in more detail, can also suffer from aphids. In this case, bulb storage conditions, planting time, watering, fertilizing and much more play a huge role.

Fortunately, removing aphids from pets is quite simple and does not require much effort, as is the case with open ground. The main thing is to notice the onset of the disease in time. You can learn about aphids in this.

Risk factors

Aphid disease occurs if the conditions of maintenance do not meet the necessary requirements for bulbous plants. In general, there are several risk factors:

Now you know how aphids appear! Therefore, be sure to read further about preventing the development of aphids and the method of combating this pest!

Seasonality of the disease

ATTENTION! Do not forget that aphids are active throughout the summer and can reproduce at any time. Preventively spray plants with solutions of natural or chemical insecticides. In gardens and greenhouses, it is better to start prevention in April, in vegetable gardens - in May.

How to protect bulbous flowers?

There are three in total:

• Chemical;
• Folk;
• Biological.

Chemical method

Of course, the most effective remedy for aphids will be regular chemical treatment of gardens, vegetable gardens and greenhouses. There are now many insecticides available that do not accumulate in plant fruits and do not cause allergies. However, this method has many opponents who claim that the synthesized poison negatively affects the ecosystem and human health with prolonged exposure.

Each gardener has his own usual preparations for combating aphids. Both the latest developments and ancient, long-tested and reliable means are used. Read more about the use of insecticides on bulbous plants here!

Folk way

Traditional methods are the most used in Russia. Their popularity is mainly explained by the complete safety of the solutions used. Only natural insecticides are used here: tansy, garlic, onion peels, soap-alcohol solutions and much more.

pros: these solutions have absolutely no impact on the environment and still work as intended. Many gardeners prefer this proven remedy for aphids at home.

Minuses: the complexity of preparing a huge amount of solution for treatment, and the effectiveness is lower than that of insecticides, and it is necessary to process more often. An activity for hardworking and truly caring citizens.

Biological method

The biological method is recognized by all research scientists as the most reasonable method of controlling the aphid population. Its use can be described as planting ladybird larvae or predatory wasps that eat aphids on the affected area. The fact that they have natural enemies that feed on aphids and heal entire plantations has been known for a long time, but there have always been some obstacles to the use of this method.

Firstly, response duration. It takes time to destroy a population, but in the case of aphids there is no more time: it multiplies too quickly, unlike the same wasps. The harvest suffers and the farm suffers losses.

Secondly, difficulty of implementation. Previously, it was generally not possible to buy ladybird or wasp larvae. Now there are even online stores that supply similar products. You also need to not just release the larvae into the area, but plant them on the affected plants, which is very inconvenient for the farmer.

Third, uncontrollability. It is unknown whether these purchased larvae will survive or not, whether someone else will eat them and whether they will be able to fulfill their function.

In general, this method is too unreliable even for a modern person who is aware of environmental problems. The biological method is best used as a preventive measure, and not as a remedy for aphids on plants.

Modern methods of control make it possible to easily get rid of an aphid infestation. The main thing is to notice problems in time and correctly diagnose them, assessing the level of danger for your bulbous pets.

Useful video

This video shows another most effective remedy for aphids:

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