April's Aphids!
Errr! Dadgum aphids! I think having free range chickens has had an adverse effect on my ladybuy and daddy longleg population. Even though you don't see many ladybugs this time of year, you should see lots of daddy longleg spiders. I'm just not seeing them, and the few I do seem to be servicing the wrong plants. So today I ordered 1500 ladybugs from Gardening Zone.
Now if you have aphids, and chances are you do, they are not going to kill your plant, but their annoying and they suck the juices out of plants and once the plant starts to produce fruit then the little suckers really get busy. So, it's best, in my opinion to take care of them now. You can use a soap and water solution known as insecticidal soap in garden lingo, but I'd rather take care of them the really natural way using predators. So, get to know your good bugs and encourage them to live in your garden. Here are the little guys that I look for: Ladybugs, Preying Mantis, Lace Wings and Daddy Longlegs. If you know more, tell me, I consider myself a beginning gardener, so I'm all ears to your knowledge.
See the tiny red things by my finger? Those are aphids, they live in clusters on the under side of plants and they love tomato plants as much as I do.
9 comments:
At the bird store they had small sacks of these and the gentleman behind the desk claims they are the perfect answer to aphid problems. I might get some just because I think Ladybug and just cute.
Good luck.
I prefer to scream insults at my aphids.
There's some crazy guy that sells ladybugs in Seattle (I drive by all the time). Since my epithets don't seem to be working on the aphids, perhaps I should stop by.
um not sure April, but those could be spider mites, my aphids are white.
Kate from HK
Hi Kate, yes spider mites can be red, but they are almost like powder they are so small. Aphids (hermoptera, I believe is the variety I have) can be red, gold, white, clearish and black. If you enlarge the picture I think you can see the body shape and if you look down one of the veins of the leaf their sits one of my buddies....a lil' tick.
However, if I do have some spider mites, which I probably do, the ladybugs will eat them too.
My aphids are bright orange and smell like cooked cabbage. Whenever I see one - I start singing long stanzas from La Traviata. If that doesn't work, then I stand on my head and clap my legs together until my ankels are bruised, if that doesn't work, I take all my clothes off, set them on fire in the yard, cover myself in the ashes, shake my fist at the heavens and scream - Go Away You Damn Aphids!
I had no idea they came in different colors! Anyway, they've got to go!!!! Hope the ladybugs enjoy their lunch.
Kate from HK
I think rechelle suffers from Aphid Induced Lunacy (AIL). I believe there is prescription medication for that.
At the very least, I hope you wait for the ashes to cool down. Ouch!
Rechelle stop the madness.
I'm got a million trillion lady bugs -- do you know they stink?
How do I know -- I once had a child eat one. YUCK -- go brush your teeth child!!
So glad to know they are good for something. Now when ever we find one -- I'll have a child take it to the garden. We'll have a path worn before to long... when they come out of hiding.
See -- one can learn something new every day! If one tries... (Usally I don't -- and it's just by chance.)
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