What to do if there are aphids in the plants at home
A comprehensive introduction to dealing with aphids in houseplants and detailed guide on aphid control, let's learn about it together.
Introduction
Aphids are a very common type of plant pest, with many species. They prefer dry environments and can爆发 during high temperatures, densely clustering on the leaves, making one's skin crawl! They are not picky eaters, consuming everything from heavily flavored plants like pepper trees to fragrant roses, leaving plant enthusiasts in despair!
Aphids have piercing-sucking mouthparts, with a long needle-like mouth that can extract fresh sap from plant tissues. Over time, the plant can become malnourished, and if not treated promptly, it will soon die.
Scary Reproduction
The reproductive ability of aphids is also very strong, with the ability to produce 20 to 30 broods a year. Besides the male and female, they can also reproduce thelytokously, which means they don't need a father, and a single mother can have children, which is quite impressive. No wonder plant enthusiasts can't seem to get rid of them. Some species of aphids are even more amazing, as they can be pregnant with the next generation before they are born, and can start reproducing 4-5 days after birth. Impressed, aren't you?
Aphid's Best Friend
Surprisingly, these little creatures are quite social and have befriended ants. Aphids secrete a honeydew, which ants love to eat. Ants will use their antennae to touch the back of aphids to encourage them to release honeydew. Then, the aphid's backside releases delicious treats, which ants are happy to consume.
But this isn't a free meal, as ants will also protect the aphids. If ladybugs come to bother the aphids, ants will come to their defense and chase away the ladybugs. Isn't it fascinating? I've personally seen ants pick up aphids and carry them to leaves with more sap for them to feed on!
Applying Pesticides
Aphids are easy to find because they always like to gather on the youngest parts of plants. Once found, you should quickly apply pesticides to them, or after a few days, with their reproductive ability, they will have multiplied several times, creating a dense, hair-raising sight.
What to do if there are aphids in the plants at home
Although there are many aphids, their bodies are not very strong and are not as tough as scale insects, which are almost indestructible. Most pesticides available on the market can kill them. For example, I recommend imidacloprid, as it comes in small packets, is relatively inexpensive, and works well. For the ratio, usually, one-tenth of a small packet of imidacloprid mixed with a 1.5L spray bottle is enough. Apply 2-3 times, once every week, thoroughly spraying all sides, and the aphids will be gone.
For some plant enthusiasts with children at home, I also recommend matrine, a traditional Chinese medicine preparation that is safe for humans and highly effective against aphids.
Some plant enthusiasts online also say that washing powder or chili water can be used to deal with aphids. Is that really reliable?
The above sharing on dealing with aphids in houseplants and detailed guide on aphid control, hoping to bring a little help to your life!