Aphids are highly destructive pests that have the ability to kill a plant, but where do come from?Also known as plant lice, aphids attack in hundreds, suck all the nutrients of their host plant within days to kill it, and can even reproduce exponentially during their short lifespan. Fortunately, there are a number of simple and organic ways to get rid of aphids easily too.If you have plants or are an avid gardener, you should definitely know about these destructive insects that have the ability to kill any plant they take over within mere days. These insects are called aphids. They belong to the family Aphididae, which consists of several thousand species of small insects that such the sap out of plant leaves. There are around 4,400 species of aphids themselves, out of which at least 250 are regarded as serious pests as they can be extremely harmful and dangerous to agricultural crops and ornamental plants. The most common aphid species are the green apple aphids, wooly apple aphids, green peach aphids, oleander aphids, potato aphids, milkweed aphids, cabbage aphids, rose aphids, and many more. They are usually named after the type of plant species that they prefer to feed or lay their eggs on.A single aphid is very small and measures about 0.16-0.25 in (4-6.3 mm) in length. It is a soft-bodied insect and can be of many colors depending on its species, such as green, white, black, brown, gray, yellow, or pink. For example, potato aphids are brown in color while oleander aphids are bright yellow. An aphid has a pear-shaped body with long antennae and legs. It is also one of the very few insects that have tube-like protrusions called cornicles on their abdomen. These cornicles are used for excreting a sticky substance called honeydew, which is also known as cornicle wax.Aphids are not usually winged and move very slowly. However, in certain situations when their population on a single plant becomes so large that all of them can’t feed on the sap of that plant anymore, the new generation can be formed of winged aphids so they can migrate to another plant to feed on its sap.Aphids use a syringe needle-like mouthpart to suck the sap out of the phloem tube and xylem cells of a plant. The phloem tube transports and distributes the nutrients in every part of the plant’s body, whereas the xylem cells distribute the water absorbed by the roots. Thus, when aphids take away the water and nutrients that a plant needs, it is not able to carry out the process of photosynthesis and thus, the plant eventually dies. Different species of aphids attack different parts of the plants they feed on such as the leaves, stems, buds, flowers, fruit, or even the roots. Most of them are always attracted to new growth on a plant due to the excess amount of sap present there. Some species are monoecious, which means that they attack only a particular species of plants, while others are heteroecious and may feed on a number of species of plants.An aphid infestation can damage plants in a lot of ways. When too many aphids feed on the sap of a leaf, it can cause the leaf to yellow and start to wilt. The leaves can also become misshaped, curled, or stunted. The sticky, sweet honeydew or cornicle wax that they excrete can attract other pests such as ants. This honeydew can later become a perfect place for sooty mold fungi to grow and develop black spots, thus preventing the leaf from performing photosynthesis by not blocking out the light from its surface. Aphids can also cause serious damage by becoming carriers for plant diseases and viruses when winged aphids migrate to another plant. Thus, it is very necessary to control aphids and prevent an aphid infestation.If you want to enjoy similar content, be sure to check out our articles on where do baby back ribs come from and where do beans come from as well!Where do aphids come from and how to get rid of them?Different species of aphids can be found all over the world. They prefer temperate zones or places with a moderate climate, aphids can persist all year-round. In other places, they can lay eggs in the fall. These aphid eggs or larvae will not hatch and become adults until spring arrives. Thus, a whole generation of these insects will be born in the spring when the eggs hatch, causing a sudden infestation. Infestations can also easily spread to other pots surrounding the infested plant when the plant is relocated and some of its soil drops nearby. Although aphids move slowly, it is possible for them to move to a nearby plant and can even be born with wings for the purpose of finding a new plant to prey on. After choosing a host plant to feed on, they reproduce very quickly and in great numbers. An aphid has a short lifespan of about 25 days, but within these days, it can give birth to around 80 new young aphids, called nymphs. Therefore, infestations can be spread easily but aphid control is relatively easy and there are a number of control options.The first step in controlling an aphid population is identifying the symptoms of aphids in your garden plants. If you notice curled leaves, sticky honeydew, black sooty mold spots, or a sudden growth in the population of ants, it is likely that aphids have been feeding off your plant.To control small infestations is quite easy as it can be done using only water! All you will need to do is spray at your plants with a strong stream of water as it can make the aphids fall of the plant. The only drawback is that if the infested plant is a delicate one, it won’t be able to handle the strong water pressure from the spray. Another relatively simple method is to manually remove the aphids from the plant. Wearing gloves is advisable for removing them manually and all the bugs picked off from the plant will need to be put in a solution of soapy water to kill them. Some affected parts of the plant can also be pruned off. Flour can also be sprinkled on top of the plants, so the aphids will consume the flour when trying to suck the sap from the plant. Ingesting flour will cause their digestive systems to be congested, leading to their death.A special spray can be made at home using a few tablespoons of insecticidal soap with water and using the spray directly on the aphids. The undersides of leaves and other affected parts should also be sprayed. This spray will kill the aphids but will not harm any beneficial insects like lacewings or ladybugs. Neem oil has also proven to be effective in controlling an aphid infestation as it will cover the bugs and kill them. A neem oil spray can also be applied but it can also cause harm to ladybugs or lacewings, which are beneficial insects. Thus, avoid using neem oil when ladybugs or other similar insects are present on your plant. A spray mix can be made using a little bit of cayenne pepper, 1 qt (0.9 l) of water, and 1 tsp (5 ml) of pure liquid soap.Another method to get rid of aphids is to put natural predators of aphids such as green lacewings, ladybugs, or parasitic wasps in your garden. Ladybugs and green lacewings usually do a better job at consuming aphids in their larval stages. These insects are beneficial to your plants, and prey on aphids, thus removing their population from your garden. Parasitic wasps are especially helpful in dealing with aphids that attack the roots of their host plant. Birds are also quite efficient in attacking aphid eggs.Where do aphids come from in indoor conditions?Aphids have often been found in indoor plants and are considered to be common pests. Generations of aphids can emerge on a plant if it already contained aphid eggs or larvae when it was brought indoors. They can also come from outside from an open window as they can travel by wind. They can spread when the soil of a heavily infested plant gets stuck on a person’s shoes or even clothes, thus transporting aphids to other places.Plants should be regularly checked for symptoms of an infestation such as sweet, sticky honeydew, curled leaves, deformed flowers, black sooty spots, or an excessive amount of ants should be Indoor aphid control can be done by spraying a mix of liquid soap and water or liquid soap, water, and cayenne pepper. Neem oil is also effective in controlling or preventing an aphid infestation.If it is possible, consider growing plants that aphids are repelled by. By planting plants that aphids are repelled by, such as catnip, garlic, and chives, other plants will be protected, and you can get rid of aphids. Plants that aphids like to prey on are called trap plants and are used to attract and lure aphids away from other plants that you would like to protect. However, these need to be checked regularly for any stray aphids that might travel to other plants.Diatomaceous earth or DE is also used as an organic way of repelling an infestation or even controlling an already large infestation. Avoid using chemical insecticides as most insecticides will cause yellowing or stunted plant growth by affecting the root quality.Where do milkweed aphids come from?Milkweeds are flowering plants that are needed to host the eggs of the monarch butterfly but are often infested by aphids. These are usually oleander aphids that prey upon various types of milkweed as well. These wingless bugs are bright yellow with long, black legs. These bugs are not native to the U.S.A. and were introduced from the Mediterranean region where oleanders are commonly found.They differ from other aphids in the sense that oleander aphids that feed upon milkweed, and usually are not vulnerable to their natural predators. Thus, introducing beneficial insects such as ladybugs or green lacewing might not work at all in trying to control these pests. This is because these aphids consume toxins from their host plants, especially milkweed, which are harmful to their natural predators.It is essential that while trying to control an aphid population on milkweed, the eggs of the monarch butterflies are not harmed. Thus, there are very few methods in removing aphids from these plants while leaving the monarch eggs untouched. The first method is to remove them one by one by hand. The other is carefully dabbing cotton swabs that have been dipped in rubbing alcohol so that they do not touch the monarch eggs. Spraying water on these plants is not advised as it may remove monarch eggs from the plant as well.Where do aphids come from in the spring?Many aphids lay their eggs on the underside of leaves at the beginning of fall, which hatches only when spring arrives. Thus, these eggs and larvae can remain hidden during the winter as there are no live aphids that can be seen, so it seems like they suddenly arrive in huge numbers.In most species of aphids, all the eggs that hatch in the spring grow into female aphids. These female aphids will not lay eggs again, but rather give birth to live young. The wingless females will be able to carry out asexual reproduction and will be able to produce around 80 more females. After a while, when there is a lack of sap in the original host plant due to an extremely large population, winged aphids may be born who will fly to another plant to feed on it. After a few generations, they will give rise to both males and females. They will carry out sexual reproduction and females will lay eggs on the host plant when fall arrives. Thus, their life cycle will be continued when females will hatch from those eggs and grow into adult aphids that will go on to increase their population.Where do oleander aphids come from and how to get rid of them?Oleander aphids were introduced to North America from the Mediterranean and are the same as other aphids in many aspects. They prey on plants such as milkweed and oleander, feeding on their sap through their leaves and stems. They also release the sticky substance called honeydew like other aphids, which attracts a lot of ants.A common way is to make or buy a spray mix of soap and water and spray it on the bugs directly. This will likely smother them and eventually, kill them. Neem oil is also highly recommended as it will also kill off these pests on the oleanders in your garden. However, many suggest that it is best to limit the irrigation and fertilization given to the plant as it will lead to new growths in the plant and so, attract more aphids. In other cases where it is possible, consider simply pruning off the affected areas and removing the aphids by hand.While using natural predators to remove an oleander aphid infestation on a milkweed plant might not work, beneficial insects can be used to control a population of aphids feeding on plants like oleander. Parasitic wasps are very useful in removing oleander aphids as they will lay their eggs inside young aphids, leading to them being killed. Similarly, larvae of ladybugs and lacewings also prove to be as effective on oleander aphids as on other aphid species.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Where Do Aphids Come From? How To Get Rid Of These Insect Species, then why not take a look at why do dogs have tails? Amusing Facts On Your Fido’s Tail Wags!, or Why Do Dogs Lick You? Understanding Your Paw Friend’s Affection!.
Aphids are highly destructive pests that have the ability to kill a plant, but where do come from?
