How to Treat Aphids Effectively? A Complete Guide to Practical Control Methods
Aphids are a group of plant-eating insects, also known as honey bugs, greasy bugs and so on, including all members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Most species are oligophagous or monophagous, a few are polyphagous, and some species are important pests of economic plants such as grain, cotton, oil crops, hemp, tea, sugar crops, vegetables, tobacco, fruit, medicinal plants and trees. Let's take a look below at the best way to treat aphids!
Protect Natural Enemies
Aphids have many natural enemies, including ladybugs, hoverflies, parasitic wasps, aphid midges, crab spiders, green lacewings and entomopathogenic fungi, and these natural enemies have a strong suppressing effect on aphids. Therefore, broad-spectrum pesticides can be applied as little as possible, and spraying should be avoided during the peak activity period of natural enemies. Where conditions allow, aphid natural enemies can be raised and released artificially.
Manual Control
In autumn and winter, whitewash the base of the tree trunk to prevent aphids from laying eggs. Prune off damaged twigs and spent flowers and burn them in a concentrated manner to reduce the overwintering population. In winter, scrape off or brush off the densely overwintering egg masses on the bark, and promptly clean up fallen twigs and leaves to reduce overwintering eggs. In spring, when a small number of aphids is found on flowers, they can be brushed off clean with a writing brush dipped in water.
Chemical Control
When large numbers of aphids are found, spray pesticides promptly: 50% malathion emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution, or 50% fenitrothion emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution, or 50% pirimicarb wettable powder at 3000 times dilution, or 2.5% deltamethrin emulsifiable concentrate at 3000 times dilution, or 2.5% fenpropathrin emulsifiable concentrate at 3000 times dilution, or 40% imidacloprid water-soluble concentrate at 1500-2000 times dilution, etc., spraying the plants 1-2 times.