How to get rid of black aphids on garden and vegetable garden plants

Black aphid is a common name that unites aphids of black, brown and blue. It is a small insect with an oblong body, a thin proboscis, a pointed belly and long legs, capable of adapting to any habitat. Forms colonies and multiplies at lightning speed. One female produces an average of 100 to 130 larvae, which develop into adults in 14 days.

Black aphid is omnivorous. It can feed on all garden crops without exception, causing them the same harm. However, whenever possible, he chooses the “most delicious” of them.

To get rid of black aphids once and for all, you need to learn more about its lifestyle and choose the most effective methods of destruction.

Where to look for black aphids?

Thoroughly examining each plant and spotting black aphids in time in a garden with a large territory is not an easy, and sometimes even impossible task. Therefore, you need to know exactly where to look for it, taking into account the lifestyle and ways of feeding this pest.

The body color of a species of aphid, as a rule, corresponds to its taste preferences - the color of the fruits of the plants from which it feeds. This means that in the case of black aphids, you should look first of all on tomatoes, eggplants, grapes, cherries, cherry, viburnum and currants. This parasite is also found on cucumbers below the leaves.

Black aphid feeds, piercing the skin of plants with a thin long proboscis. Only the strongest individuals of the family are able to bite through the coarse old foliage, and the pliable delicate leaves and flowers save even weak pests from hunger. Therefore, you need to look especially carefully on young parts of plants, new shoots and flowers.

Another sign that may indicate the presence of black aphids is the increased activity of ants in a certain part of the garden. Aphid colonies like to settle near anthills, counting on the protection of ants that feed on the products of their vital activity.

Symptoms of damage to black aphids

In advanced cases, aphids can be detected even with the "naked eye" for clearly visible signs of the disease, which may be general or specific.

Signs that are characteristic of all garden and horticultural crops without exception:

• the plant loses its attractiveness, looks depressed and unhealthy;
• on the outer part of the leaves, small punctures from sharp proboscis are visible;
• on the undersides of the leaves, an accumulation of small black pests or their eggs is visible;
• diseased leaves are shiny and sticky from the honeydew, unpleasant to the touch;
• leaves curl, lose color and begin to wither;
• opened flower buds are deformed, shrink and fall off.

Specific signs of aphid damage (found only in red and black currants, and are not characteristic of other plants):

• On the leaves of red currant, large, bubbly, burgundy swells appear, on the back of which insects settle.
• In black currant, the apical leaves are strongly elongated and curled around the edges. Similar symptoms are observed in viburnum.

Plant infection routes

It is quite difficult to prevent infection of plants with black aphids, since it occurs in a variety of ways:

• In summer, when doors and windows are open, winged females can fly into the greenhouse or a room with plants on their own.
• The pest can travel long distances on people's clothing or animal hair.
• A newly acquired plant or tree may already be infested with aphids and infect other plantings.
• Aphid eggs or larvae may be in the ground.
• Aphids can be transferred and planted by ants.

Toxic chemicals to combat black aphids

Treatment with synthetic and biological pesticides when growing plants in open ground or in a greenhouse is one of the most effective ways to destroy adult pests and their larvae. Under the influence of the drug, they die after 4-5 days, but even before that time they cease to pose a threat to plantings, as they lose strength, cannot move and eat.

The range of pesticides with which you can fight aphids is extremely large on the modern market. It can be:

• Intestinal preparations that enter the pest's body through the digestive system and are absorbed into the bloodstream, causing paralysis and death. These are tools like "Akarin", "Confidor", "Fufanon".
• Contact drugs that penetrate the body of pests through the chitinous integument on their body - "Envidor", "Fufan", "Neoron".
• Systemic drugs that are absorbed by the plants themselves and kill pests that feed on poisoned juices - "Aktara", "Apache", "Jaguar" and etc.

The disadvantages of chemistry are an unpleasant pungent odor and high toxicity. If you process a fruiting plant, then eating the fruits is recommended no earlier than two to three weeks later. If, through negligence or ignorance, the processed fruit has been eaten earlier, you must take activated charcoal and consult a doctor.

Folk recipes for combating black aphids

Folk remedies for black aphid include safe solutions and tinctures that can be done in addition to the main course of "treatment" and in the early stages. There are a lot of recipes for their preparation:

• Laundry soap solution: Dissolve 200-300 g in 10 liters of warm water.
• A solution of ammonia: 10 g per 10 liters of warm water.
• Ash solution: 200 g per 5 liters of boiling water.
• Infusion of capsicum: 0.5 kg per 5 liters of water at room temperature.
• Broth of celandine and nasturtium: 1-2 kg of fresh herbs and flowers per 4 liters of boiling water.
• Infusion of potato tops: 300 g per 5 liters of boiling water.
• Infusion of tomato stepsons: 300 g of raw materials for 5 liters of boiling water.
• Nettle infusion: 200 g of finely chopped leaves per 1 liter of water.
• Mustard solution: 100 g of dry powder in 35 liters of water at room temperature.
• Infusion of orange peels: peel with 1 kg of citrus fruits for 5 liters of boiling water.

Thus, we can summarize: the fight against aphids is not an easy task, but it is necessary for plant health and a good harvest. There are many effective drugs and folk recipes for this. And if measures are not taken in a timely manner, the affected garden or vegetable garden culture will stop growing, weaken and die. Act without delay!