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Aphid Control

By: Chris Moore

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Aphids (plant lice or green flies) are tiny, herbaceous insects common in temperate countries. Most aphid varieties are green but there are pink, brown or black ones too. They are rather light and soft bodied, hence, can migrate from place to place on wind currents, rapidly. Thus, you shouldn't be surprised if your well-maintained front yard is invaded by these arthropods overnight.

But the good news is, that a particular type of aphids can attack only a particular species of plant. However, as in every case, there are exceptions. The Peach Aphid attacks more than a hundred varieties of plants.

Plant lice pierce the plant stems, sucking away the sap (phloem) without which the plant would wither and die. When attacked by these pest creatures, plant leaves yellow, curl and mottle, plus stems become dry, brown and ultimately, the plant will wither and die.

So how exactly do you keep your garden from aphid attack? You must be watchful and knowledgeable, inspecting the underside of plant leaves at least once fortnight. If your neighborhood has a history of aphid attack, you need to be extra cautious. Also, maintaining the cleanliness of the garden is crucial, not only when it comes to aphid attack, but all types of pest infections and disease. Remember, aphids cannot be seen as green flight colonies unlike most pests.

Weather is also an important factor when it comes to aphid multiplication. Most sub-species reduce in number during the spring and summer. They are more active in cold seasons, on dormant and winter plants. However there are others active all year.

The easiest way to control aphids is to spray the attacked plant with high pressured water, preferable mixed with pesticide soap, Neem oil or narrow-range oil. In a world where everything is "quick-and-easy" you surely can find more than a dozen various aphid control chemical sprays. When you choose the chemical try picking one that is not harming to the crop friendly animals like butterflies and earthworms.

Placing plants with brightly colored flowers by the aphid prone plants (Bergenia, Snow Drops, Berry Bushes) will repel the insects. Ants are said to be close associates of aphis, so, if your garden is over populated with ant armies, you may have to be extra careful.
Cleaning the plot well before planting vegetables is crucial. Aphids often build up on weeds such as Sowthistle and mustards. If, careful measures are not taken, large areas of crops can be destroyed within a matter of hours.
Today, there are many biological control methods too. These are rather friendly to the environment and more effective, without doubt. Carbomates, parathyroid pesticide chemical usage is much cheaper and introducing natural enemies of aphids (predatory species like lady bugs and syrphid flies) will make the insect control so much easier.
If the plant is already attacked by aphids, you should definitely uproot it or cut if off and dispose. If not, the pest can spread rapidly and sometimes even adapt to feed on other plant species.
The key to keeping pests, plant or animal, is to inspect the conditions of your garden constantly and taking relevant steps, during the required time slots, with the advice of a professional gardener/ farmer. Also, keep in mind that pest attack is not a cause of panic. It is just a phase some gardens tend to go through (the less fortunate ones, of course) that can be recovered quicker if it is done in the right way.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Landscapes WA are Perth landscape gardeners providing expert landscaping services for West Australia homes.

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