Its easy to minimize damage from aphids and the viruses they spread in your garden and on your houseplants.
Instead, look for signs of an infestation.
Aphids don’t always harm healthy plants.
Beneficial insects such as ladybugs can help keep aphids under control.Credit: David Speer
Damage is usually most noticeable on shoot tips, new growth, and unopened flower buds.
These insects range in color from green to yellow, brown, red, or even black.
Aphids cause damage by sucking sap from tender plant parts.
Look for aphids on newer growth and the undersides of leaves.Credit: Marty Baldwin
As they feast, they excrete a sugary substance called honeydew.
you could wash your plant leaves with water to remove the honeydew and sooty mold.
Aphids are such small, soft-bodied insects that even a good rainstorm can knock them off.
Once aphids are knocked off a plant, they rarely climb back on.
However, you still need to follow the label instructions.
Insecticidal soaps and horticultural oil willkill aphidsbut must be applied regularly during heavy infestations since aphids reproduce so quickly.
And don’t forget to spray the undersides of the leaves, as well as the top.
These insects are very soft and delicate, so they’re crushed with light pressure.
Check back every few days to see if you better repeat the procedure.
How to Prevent Aphids
Preventing large numbers of aphids from making themselves at home is possible.
Remove the row covers when your seedlings are several inches tall or when temperatures heat up in the summer.
Prune off any infested parts or take your plant outside and give it a strong spray of water.
Look for raspberry plants that are certified to be free from viruses for at least two years.
you could also plant raspberries that are aphid-resistant, such as the purple-red Royalty variety.
Aphids in home yards and gardens.
University of Minnesota Extension.
Plant, Insect Viruses Work Together to Spread Disease.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service.
