We may call them greenfly, blackfly, whitefly or plant lice, but whatever type you have you don’t like them sucking on your plants. Aphids belong to the order of insects called Hemiptera, or the True Bugs, and they are one of the most destructive insect families. They can do immense damage to garden plants and food crops, and they reproduce at an amazingly speedy rate.
Many aphids are monophagous, which means they feed solely on one particular species of plant, whilst others aren’t all that fussy about species and they will feed on almost any plant.They feed by puncturing the plant tissue and then sucking up the sap. This can also spread viruses which can kill the plants.
But help is at hand with gardener friendly insects like ladybirds, lacewings, wasps and hoverflies, which, in their larvae state (larvae and adult with ladybirds) feed on the aphids. Crab spiders also feed on aphids.
So don’t reach for the spray gun just yet. Let nature take its course.
Photographs taken June 2016, rear garden, Staffordshire.
Nature Journeys 
I can deal with a lot, but aphids really are a little creepy. You’re right about the lady bugs, though. I once gave 5,000 to a rose gardener as a gift, and over a couple of months, they took care of his problem. (You can put out only a portion of the lady bugs, and keep the rest in the refrigerator until you need more. They think it’s hibernation time.)
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Yes, they are a little creepy, especially when they are all crammed together on a shoot. Its amazing what nature gives up. Aphids are one of our worlds most successful species. Yet its good to have those ladybirds/bugs to keep their populations down. Thank you for your comment.
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Zowie. That’s a heavy load. Don’t think I’ve seen an infestation quite like that. Lucky you. 😉
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They just love those crab apple tree fresh shoots 🙂
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I’d say so. 🙂
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