Atwood LawnCare

What you’ll see will vary from plant to plant. Some plants show no response, while other plants produce distorted (twisted, curled or swollen) leaves or stems. Occasionally, aphids may actually kill leaves or small shoots. Aphids also produce large quantities of sticky exudates known as “honeydew”, which often turns black with the growth of sooty mold fungus. Some aphid species inject a toxin into plants, which further distorts growth. A few species cause gall formations.

The reason for the problem are small, soft bodied insects with long, slender mouth parts that they use to pierce stems, leaves and other tender plant parts and suck out plant fluids. Almost every plant has one or more aphid species that occasionally feed on it. These Aphids feed heavily on new succulent and tender growth so important controls will be needed after each flush of growth as seen with Roses. Many aphid species are difficult to distinguish however, identification to species is not necessary to control them in most situations.

You should…
o Keep your plants well watered.
o Use a hard jet of water from the hose to dislodge the aphids. Periodic syringing will keep populations from doing much damage and allow parasites and predators (ladybugs) to build up to effective levels.
o Purchase an insect control from your local nursery or landscape center (always follow label instructions).
o Prune off severely damaged plant stems.

We can help by…
o Offering insect control applications to keep the Aphid population at minimal levels. Contact Atwood LawnCare at 1-800-289-6635 and ask for a Tree & Shrub Evaluation for Aphids.