In this article, you’ll learn all about aphids, how they can actually be beneficial to your garden, and how to treat them organically if necessary.
Aphids are small, sap-sucking insects in the Aphidoidea superfamily that can proliferate on plant stems and the underside of leaves. Aphids can be especially problematic for gardeners when they infest young seedlings or greenhouses, although they can also pose a threat to mature plants as well.
Aaron’s beard, also known as St John’s wort or Hypericum calycinum, is a popular ornamental plant beloved for its bright yellow flowers and trailing habit. However, aphids can be a nuisance for Aaron’s beard owners These tiny, sap-sucking insects attack the leaves and stems, stunting growth and distorting the foliage. Getting rid of aphids on Aaron’s beard takes persistence, but is possible with natural remedies. In this guide, we’ll explore ways to identify, prevent, and safely eliminate aphids from Aaron’s beard using organic solutions.
Identifying Aphids on Aaron’s Beard
The first step is learning how to spot aphids on your Aaron’s beard. Aphids are soft-bodied insects that come in colors like green, yellow, black, brown, or pink. They tend to cluster on the undersides of leaves and stems.
Signs of an aphid infestation:
- Small pear-shaped bugs clustered on the plant, typically less than 1/8 inch long
- Curled, wrinkled, or distorted foliage
- Sticky residue called honeydew on leaves
- Presence of ants, which feed on the honeydew
- Stunted plant growth
Carefully inspect the stems and undersides of leaves to confirm the pesky bugs are aphids before treating your plant, It’s important to identify the problem correctly so you can use the right solution
Eco-Friendly Ways to Control Aphids
Once identified, aphids can be controlled safely without chemicals through these natural methods:
Prune Infested Areas
Remove heavily infested leaves and stems to instantly reduce the aphid population and prevent spreading.
Blast with Water
Use a strong jet of water to knock aphids off the plant. Focus on the undersides of leaves where they hide. Repeat every few days until under control.
Apply Neem Oil
Neem oil repels and kills aphids without harming beneficials like ladybugs. Follow instructions and coat the plant, especially infested spots.
Use Insecticidal Soap
Insecticidal soap solutions smother and eliminate aphids on contact. For best results, spray thoroughly and repeat applications.
Release Beneficial Insects
Ladybugs, lacewings, and tiny parasitic wasps prey on aphids. Buy and release them to control populations naturally.
Make DIY Garlic Spray
Garlic naturally deters pests. Blend garlic cloves with water, strain, and spray the mixture on plants.
Preventing Aphids on Aaron’s Beard
Once eliminated, keep aphids away from your Aaron’s beard through these proactive measures:
- Check plants frequently for early detection
- Encourage predatory insects by planting flowers they like
- Remove weeds which harbor aphids
- Avoid excess nitrogen fertilization that promotes growth of soft, sappy leaves
- Use reflective mulches to confuse winged aphids
- Remove and destroy severely infested plants
- Keep the plant healthy through proper sunlight, water, and care
Catching infestations early and using preventive practices makes a big difference in keeping aphids away long-term. Be vigilant about monitoring your Aaron’s beard regularly.
Are Home Remedies Effective Against Aphids?
Many websites advise home remedies like soap and oil sprays, garlic repellent, and dish detergent solutions to control aphids. But research shows natural insecticidal soaps and horticultural oils provide better results than homemade concoctions, which often don’t contain the right mix of ingredients to kill aphids on contact.
Stick to commercial organic products labeled specifically for aphid and insect control for guaranteed effectiveness. Still, home remedies can provide some deterrence when combined with other integrated pest management techniques.
When to Call a Professional Exterminator
For severe infestations unresponsive to natural control methods, professional help may be needed. Signs it’s time to call in an exterminator:
- Aphids continue multiplying rapidly despite your efforts
- You see winged aphids taking flight to colonize other plants
- Significant portions of the plant are dying or yellowing
- Honeydew and sooty mold are widespread
- Beneficial predators fail to bring the infestation under control
In these cases, persistent aphid populations may require insecticide treatment to save the plant. An experienced exterminator has access to stronger solutions than what’s available to consumers. They can develop a tailored plan to wipe out the infestation and recommendations to prevent future attacks.
Be Patient and Consistent
Eliminating aphids takes persistence. No single method will provide an immediate fix, so be prepared to use a combination of techniques and repeat them frequently. Don’t give up too soon before natural predators have a chance to establish and keep pest levels down. With regular inspection and early intervention, you can keep your Aaron’s beard healthy and thriving aphid-free using safe, eco-friendly solutions.
How do you prevent aphids in your garden?
There is no way to prevent 100% of aphids from nibbling on the plants in your garden. Instead, you’ll want to focus on holistically managing them, and the best way to manage them is by attracting predatory insects to manage them for you.
Three tips for attracting and maintaining high populations of predatory insects:
Plant a wide variety of plants, rather than growing monocultures. This practice prevents pests and diseases that love one type of plant from over-proliferating while encouraging a diversity of insect species.
Many of the small predatory insects that eat aphids also eat pollen and nectar. Even if they don’t, they’ll also hunt other smaller insects that are attracted to the flowers.
By planting a diversity of flowering plants — including plants like cilantro, garlic chives, yarrow, mache, and others that produce plentiful clusters of small flowers — you’ll attract a ton of beneficial predatory insects that will soon be enjoying an aphid buffet as well.
Many organic farms also utilize perennial hedgerows and/or incorporate rows of wildflowers in to their fields to take advantage of this approach.
“Pesticide” is a broad umbrella term used to describe substances designed to kill biological lifeforms. It includes herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, etc. Not surprisingly, a substance designed to kill a weedy plant may also kill or harm insects; a substance designed to kill an insect may also kill/harm a plant symbiont fungi, etc.
So, unless absolutely necessary, avoid using pesticides. If you do use them, opt for OMRI listed organic pesticides rather than synthetics. These types of pesticides tend to be plant-derived and have far less harmful and enduring impacts on non-target species.
Are aphids bad or good?
As we’ve written about elsewhere, 95% of insects are beneficial or benign.
However, after reading the information above, you might conclude that aphids definitely fall in the “bad insect” category. In fact, you might consider them to be the most horrifying thing you’ve ever read about!
Take a few deep breaths… Like pretty much everything that exists in nature, aphids also have a beneficial role in their ecosystem due to the fact that they’re a favorite treat for a huge range of predatory insects such as:
- ladybug adults and larvae,
- parasitoid wasps,
- lacewing larvae
- syrphid fly (aka hoverflies) larvae,
- many species of non-webbing spiders,
- the nymphs of a wide range of other predatory insects.
In a healthy ecosystem, these predators typically hold aphid populations in check. We rarely encounter an aphid infestation in our garden that isn’t quickly wiped out by throngs of ladybug larvae and lacewings. The abundant food source (aphids) triggers the adult predators to lay eggs on the affected plants, and you soon get armies of predators to help you with pest management.
Think of it this way: without plant-eating gazelles and wildebeests in the African Serengeti, there’d be nothing to attract or sustain lions, leopards, and other predators. The same predator-prey relationship pattern holds true all the way down to insects and even microscopic soil organisms.
The winged generation(s) of aphids that goes in search of new food sources gives rise to what is perhaps aphids biggest threat to healthy plants: the spread of disease.
As these winged aphids go in search of the perfect new plant on which to wean a few billion offspring, they dig their needle-like mouthparts into plants along the way, like Goldilocks in search of the perfect bowl of porridge. In the process, if they come into contact with a pathogen, they can then infect downline plants as they go.
Healthy plants grown in healthy, biologically active soil can fight off most plant diseases, but others won’t be so lucky.
Foolproof Aphid Control and Prevention
FAQ
How to get rid of aphids on irises?
Does Dawn dish soap kill aphids?
What is the best treatment for aphids?
How do you get rid of aphids in a house?
Inspect new plants —Prevent bringing aphids into the house by checking any plant you bring inside. You should inspect plants you buy and houseplants that grow outdoors in the summer. Wipe plant foliage in winter —Try and get rid of aphid eggs in the dormant period by wiping plant leaves.
Where do aphids hide?
Aphids like to shelter on the undersides of leaves and hide deep in the centers of plants like lettuce and broccoli, so get in the habit of inspecting your plants regularly, especially during periods of new growth. 1. Avoid over-fertilizing your plants.
What do aphids eat?
Nymphs and adults feed on plant juices, attacking leaves, stems, buds, flowers, fruit, and/or roots, depending on the species. Most aphids especially like succulent new growth. Some, such as the green peach aphid, feed on a variety of plants, while others, such as the rosy apple aphid, focus on one or just a few plant hosts.
How do I keep aphids out of my vegetable plot?
Protect young plants in your vegetable plot i n spring with floating row covers. These will keep aphids (and many other insect pests) out but allow air, light, and moisture to reach your plants. Remove the row covers when your seedlings are several inches tall or when temperatures heat up in summer.