Aphids, aphids, aphids . . .

 

Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) from the garden. (Photo from personal collection)

Every morning, somewhere between waking up and my first coffee of the day, I go into the garden. I look over my plants, just to check on how they are doing, and how they might have grown since the day before.

There are a number of things that can affect a plant. The weather, for a start. Wind can topple, and too much sun can wilt. Then there are insect and animal visitors.

Poppies again. Apologies. (Photo from personal collection)

A few weeks ago, I noticed that I had some aphids making themselves at home in my wildflowers . . . 

What are aphids?

Aphids are a very small insect that suck sap from plants. Some species – there are a few thousand – specialise in a single plant, others are generalists and can take food from a number of different plants.

They can reproduce asexually, that is, without the need for their eggs to be fertilised, so their numbers can multiply rapidly. In this way, the female produces live aphids. Later on, in autumn, the females will reproduce with males so they can lay eggs that will overwinter, ready for next spring.

The problems

Aphids can reproduce at a speedy rate, and as they suck the sap from the plants upon which they are living, that is going to lead to a greater and greater strain upon the plant. 

Aphids' activity upon a plant can lead to distorted growth, wilting, and their waste, honeydew, can cause mould growth. As well as this, they can be vectors of disease between plants.

Strawberries, chillies, evening primrose; the little garden. (Photo from personal collection)

Aphids and ants

Aphids and ants have a fairly well documented symbiotic relationship. 

Ants take honeydew from aphids, which is a valuable source of energy for the ants. This aphid waste is very sugary, and inspires the ants to farm and protect the aphids.

Aphids are food for a number of natural predators – ladybirds and their larvae, lacewing larvae, and some wasps are a few. However, if ants are present, and they are taking their food from aphids' honeydew, they will protect the aphids from these predators. 

Ants will also escort aphids to new plants as aphid numbers increase. In winter, when aphids have laid their eggs, ants will take those eggs into their own nests to keep them safe.

Back to my garden

Oxeye daisies. (Photo from personal collection)

The aphids have been present in the garden for a little while. And I had noticed that some of the Oxeye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) were looking a little lacklustre as they bloomed. But, the wildflowers had been planted for the benefit of the wild lives out there in the garden. And, since aphids are part of that ecological landscape, I shrugged with a c'est la vie attitude, and I left them to it.

There have been some ladybirds in the garden and the flowers have been blooming, which in turn have still provided food for bees, which I have seen visiting. I trusted that nature would take care of things.

Yesterday however, in the evening, I went outdoors to check on the plants. As ever, aphids and ants were present on some of the wildflowers. However, I noticed that they were now beginning to populate the strawberry plants. Now, this aroused some feelings which challenged my original laissez faire approach!

The strawberry plants, and the chilli plants with them, are beginnings of an exercise in self-sufficiency. They are experiments in growing food for myself. So, as I endeavour to yield a fairly decent crop of produce, I began to resent the presence of these little sap-suckers.

I do not want to use insecticides. At all. This passion for plants stemmed very much from my passion for pollinators and other wildlife. That will always be a priority, so I simply will not go about spraying chemicals that might do harm to friendly insects visiting the garden.

Yesterday, I undertook some manual "pest" control. Going around the strawberry plants, lifting leaves, and looking under blossoms and fruit heads, I brushed off the aphids I found. Then I removed any leaves that were particularly well populated. I noticed that the ants seemed to resent my activity, as they became quite active themselves.

I will check over the plants again today, and I will probably undertake a similar procedure. I have heard it said that a solution of water and chilli powder will irritate the aphids and inspire an exodus, but I fear this might irritate lives beneficial to the plant too, and to pollinators.

I might invest in a small water pistol or a spray bottle with a decently powerful squirt. Another suggestion I have found across the internet being to go about and simply shoot them from the plants with water.

Whatever the method of control, if that is what you decide to do, it pays to be thorough; aphids are often found on the undersides of leaves or tucked away somewhere between leaves and stems. Also, please do not use insecticides – they are indiscriminate and will do as much harm to pollinators and other garden friendly visitors as they will to any "pests".

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