Community Education on Environment and Development

Common Plant Pests

Aphid

Characteristics

Aphids are small, pear-shaped soft-bodied insects. They have a mouth part adapted for sucking out plant juices and prefer to feed on young, tender shoots and leaves. Most plants can tolerate moderate numbers without great damage.

Wilted or curled leaves and sticky honeydew on leaves are often signs of aphids. Columns of ants moving up and down a plant may also indicate an aphid problem. Ants protect aphids from their natural predators in order to maintain a supply of aphid honeydew. Controlling the ants may allow natural predators to help you manage aphids.

Remedies

Dragonfly, Damselfly
Green lacewing
Horticultural oil
Hover fly/Syrphid fly
Insecticidal soap
Lady beetle
Parasitic wasp
Rove beetle
Soldier beetle
Sticky trap

Hosts

Rose
Birch
Fruit trees
Maple
Vegetables

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