What are Aphids and How to Protect Plants from it?

Aphids are basically small sap-sucking insects that belong to the family of Aphidoidea. Greenfly and blackfly are their other common names.

Aphids have very soft body with piercing sucking mouthparts that help them to feed on plant sap. They feed on fruit, branches, buds etc and newly grown plants are their first preference over tough and hard ones.

Aphids are quite common insects and can be seen on most of the plants. In most of the cases, they are not much harmful to the health of plants but twisted and curled leaves, low plant growth and dead shoots are signs of severe Aphids attacks.

Identification of Aphids:

As we have already discussed, Aphids are small, pear-shaped insects.

• They have 2 tail pipes at the end of their stomach.

• They come in different colors like brown, yellow, green and black.

• Aphids can be found with wings or without wings.

• Winged Aphids are comparatively little darker.

• At the stage of growth, Aphids shed their skin. This white colored shed skin can be found on the plant leaves.

How to prevent plants from Aphids

• If we want to prevent our plants from any kind of insect then it is necessary that we keep observing them on regular bases. Population of Aphids can boom if we will not take proper care.

• Keep observing your plant regularly throughout the growing stages.

• Keep checking plants especially leave and steam.

Here is how can get rid of Aphids:

Application of pressurized water spray:

This is one of the most common method to remove insects from the plant. We can throw off Aphids with the help of strong spray bottle of water. Even a heavy rain can knock them off as they are quite weak.