Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have found these insects on my plans and am wondering what they are and how do I kill them? I know the wisdom here will identify them and give me the answer I am lookng for.
Cheers Nick

P.S sorry the plant is bok choi and this is where most of them are but they are also on my lettuce, but not on spring onions, broccoli or garlic

aphids I think

definitely aphids nick. I'd just leave them and wait for the lady beetles to come.

yeha had that thought but I do not think they are big enough, they are about 1mm or less. I think I had aphids on my tommies last summer/autumn and they were much bigger and harder shelled. They could however be baby aphids, thanks
Nick

aphids for sure nick - believe us. seen plenty of them in my time

thank you both, so how long till the lady beetles come. It will be very cool to see.

if you build it they will come

nah - provided you don't use pesticides (which I know you don't), then it will happen. How long it will take is questionable. If you feel the need to get rid of them in the meantime - you can try and hose them off or spray with seasol (some people have found that to help). I'd also look at trying to control the ants a bit if there are a lot in your system. As you probably know - they transport the aphids around often.

i always thought it was the ants that did it shneeaky lil suckers

Yes!! I agree with VB, seasol is great for killing aphids, and doesn't hurt you plants....

you are right VB i am far to cheap to use pesticides. Can honestly say I don't think they have been used in my backyard for a good number of years. They are mostly affecting the outer leaves and everything is starting to bolt so will most likely eat it soon.

Thanks to every one though, hopefully I will get the lady bugs soon. At te moment it is just rain. yeah
Nick

my suggestion would be that if there aren't to many plants get a cotton and just wipe them off that always works

AFAIK, aphids are usually all female and reproduce asexually (they spit out little baby clones with needing to mate). Then every now and then they spit out a winged version (there's one right in the middle of the photo) which can then fly to another plant, mate, lay eggs and start the next colony.

When they're eating flat out, they suck so much sugar out of the plant that they expell it as a waste product. Ants feed on the waste sugar, and help the aphids by moving them to new leaves and defending them against predators.

Pretty efficient, and pretty scary if you're a gardener.

And you're right - they're not always green!

I've got them too Nick, I just use seasol to control them and wait for the lady bugs to arrive

Has someone done a controlled test on whether the seasol actually kill aphids? In all my years of horticulture I'd never heard of it before, apart from the fact that the seasol will strengthen the plant so damage will be less.

But lately I've heard it a few times on the forum here

Seems to get rid of them for a day or so, I am still trialling seasol...what it seems to have done is restrict them to the one plant type. I only have them on the spinach and none on any other adjacent vegies (silverbeet, lettuce, cabbage)