- Look for aphids on the underside of leaves and at buds in peppers
- In brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage) they will be found all around curled new leaves, as well as on the stem, and under older leaves
- they leave sticky spots of honeydew, which initially look shiny & sticky, but can sometimes turn black from mold
- Mealy Cabbage Aphids are a particular pest of cabbage and other brassicas; they are gray aphids covered with white wax; they congregate beneath leaves and suck sap, which causes yellow patches on the leaves, and the leaves to curl
- potato aphids are pinkish or greenish – they aren’t serious but can spread viral diseases; potato leaves curl under and pucker, and you will find aphids on the underside
Methods of Control
- spray plant with water to dislodge aphids
- encourage beneficial insects and predators of aphids
Predators of Aphids
- Parasitic wasps are tiny wasps that lay their eggs inside aphids; these wasps are not a danger to people; parasitized aphids turn a different color than the rest of the population and have a pearlescent look to them; they turn hard and will not wash off under a direct spray of water
- Ladybugs, both in their larval stage and as adults, are voracious carnivores. Their favorite meal seems to be aphids. Ladybugs are commonly available at nurseries and hardware stores
- Green Lacewing is another voracious carnivore. Like ladybugs, both larval and adults consume massive quantities of aphids for you. Watch for their white eggs hanging by an almost invisible short thread on the underside of leaves or fruit, usually near large aphid colonies.
Deterrents
- dill
- chives