why are aphids considered a pest?

Aphids are often considered pests because they feed on plant sap, but is this really the case?

The main fear is that they can cause damage to plant growth and health.

They can also transmit viruses and diseases to plants, leading to a reduction in crop quality and quantity.

What’s more, their presence can attract predators such as ants, which can also cause damage to plants.

Insects are an important part of the ecosystem, and their value to humans is often overlooked.
In this post, we list the benefits of aphids and explain why it’s important not to kill them all.

Benefits of aphids

They also have advantages and benefits for the ecosystem and for humans.

Here are some of the benefits of aphids:

  1. Food source for predators :

    Aphids are an important food source for predatory insects such as ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies and wasps.
    By providing them with food, aphids help maintain a healthy ecological balance.

  2. Honeydew production :

    Aphids secrete a sweet substance called honeydew, which is eaten by bees, wasps, ants and other insects.
    Honeydew is also used to produce honeydew honey, which has a unique flavor and is highly prized in certain crops.

  3. Role in pollination :

    Although aphids are not efficient pollinators like bees and butterflies, they can still contribute to plant pollination by carrying pollen from flower to flower.

  4. Use in lacquer production:

    Certain types of aphid are used to produce lacquer, which is used to varnish furniture and musical instruments.

In short, aphids are an important part of the ecosystem, and their value to humans should not be overlooked.
Although they can cause damage to plants, their presence can actually help maintain the ecological balance.
It is therefore important to understand their role in the ecosystem before deciding to eliminate them altogether.

Here are a few tips to keep aphid populations down and protect your plants:

Use biological control methods:

Instead of using pesticides, you can introduce predatory insects such as ladybugs, lacewings or parasitoid wasps to control aphid populations.

These predatory insects feed on aphids and help maintain a healthy ecological balance.

You just have to be careful not to mismanage quantities.

By maintaining a healthy ecological balance and promoting biodiversity, the use of predatory insects can help control aphid populations without the need for toxic pesticides.

Use soap and water:

You can spray your plants with soapy water and a liquid fat (such as milk) to eliminate aphids.

Soap acts as a mild insecticide, suffocating aphids.

This is the ULTIMATE technique we use to treat our customers’ plants.

Use natural repellents:

Certain plants, such as mint, basil, lavender and garlic, have natural repellent properties that can help keep aphids away.

You can plant these plants around aphid-susceptible plants to protect them.

By taking these steps, you can keep aphid populations in check and protect your plants without resorting to toxic pesticides.
This helps maintain a healthy, balanced environment for all living creatures, including aphids.

 

In conclusion

Using water, soap and milk is a simple, environmentally-friendly technique for eliminating aphids from plants.
With the addition of elbow grease, this is the most recommended technique.

In order to respect biodiversity, our team will make a treatment according to the resistance of the plant, the type of aphid and the rate of invasion (20% is acceptable on many plants).

To do this:

Fill a spray bottle with water and add a small amount of mild soap.
Shake the spray bottle well to mix the water and soap.
Then spray the aphid-infested plants with this mixture of soap and water.
Make sure you cover all parts of the plant, including leaves, stems and buds.

Soap acts as a mild insecticide, suffocating aphids and preventing them from feeding on plant sap.
It’s important to note that this method doesn’t kill aphids instantly, but gradually eliminates them from the plant.

After spraying the plants with the soap-and-water mixture, let them dry naturally.
We also recommend repeating this technique several times, spraying the plants every two or three days until the aphids are eliminated.

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