Aphids on My Flower Buds

The beauty of your flowers can be destroyed by aphids on the buds.

Commonly known as plant lice, aphids are insects that suck on the sap of your flower buds, leaves, or new shoots. These pests are commonly seen on the tender areas of plants, and can plague your flowers in temperate climates. They can cause a variety of damage to plants and flowers, and they can be especially harmful to your flower buds. If you have aphids on your plants, it is important to know why they are there and what they can do to your flowers.

Identifying Aphids

There are around 30 common types of aphids that can plague your flower buds, and they are usually smaller than a common housefly. These usually have soft bodies, long legs, antennae and pod-shapes. Very few of them will have wings. They usually form large colonies, especially on new flower buds, and usually appear on the underside of leaves and at the base of the young flower buds. Aphids are usually green or yellow, but can also be black, brown or even pink.

Aphid Damage

Aphids are dreaded by gardeners and those with plants and flowers because of the damage they can do to the flowers. The types of damage include removing sap and leaving colored secretions. These secretions can transform into mold or mildew, and this might be accompanied by distorted leaves or wilting bulbs. Fungi and molds are very common, and these can transmit a variety of diseases that will leave your plant dying or withering.

Aphid Reproduction

Aphids are a particular annoyance because of the rate at which they reproduce. Aphids do not lay eggs. Instead, live young are born directly from the mother. Female aphids can produce up to 100 aphid nymphs in a month. At that rate, it will take no more than a week for a flower bulb to be covered, and it can leave your bud crowded quite quickly.

Managing Aphids

Aphids, because of their nature, should be carefully monitored and managed before they become a larger problem that you would like. You should inspect your plants before placing them in growing areas, and you should eliminate weeds and diseased plants. You should look for these insects as often as possible, and attack them with insecticides when you notice an infestation or a problem. Powder and spray formulas can be used, and a variety of insecticide types will help you battle the dozens of aphid species.

References

• University of Massachusetts Extension: Managing Aphids