What are the control methods for flower aphids?

: Aphids, also known as honey bugs, greasy bugs, etc., mostly belong to the family Aphididae in the order Homoptera. They are piercing-sucking pests and often gather in clusters on leaves, tender stems, flower buds, terminal buds and other parts, piercing and sucking sap, causing leaves to wrinkle, curl and become deformed, and in severe cases causing branches and leaves to wither or even the whole plant to die. The honeydew secreted by aphids can also induce sooty mold and viral diseases and attract ants, among other damage. The common aphids that harm garden flowers mainly include the green peach aphid, mealy plum aphid, cotton aphid, chrysanthemum aphid, and rose long-tube aphid.

(1) Morphological characteristics: The aphid body is small and soft. The antennae are long, with 6 segments, divided into two parts: the base and the flagellum, and the third to sixth segments often have circular or oval sensoria at the base. Most aphids have a pair of abdominal tubes on the back of the sixth abdominal segment, and a cauda at the end of the abdomen. Aphids have winged and wingless individuals, and their reproductive modes include parthenogenesis and sexual reproduction, as well as viviparity and oviparity. Aphid body colors include green, yellow, light green, dark blue, and so on.

(2) Occurrence pattern: Aphids have a very strong reproductive capacity, and the number of generations varies greatly depending on species, climate, and nutritional conditions.

① Green peach aphid Myzus persicae Sulzer: The green peach aphid is also called the peach red aphid, tobacco aphid, etc. It has a wide distribution range and harms many plants, including ornamental peach, mountain peach, plum blossom, cherry blossom, orchid, hollyhock, and so on. In northern regions, the green peach aphid occurs in 10 to 30 generations per year, overwintering as eggs or parthenogenetic aphids on peach trees or in greenhouses. It emerges in late February to early March of the following spring, when damage begins. In early May, reproduction accelerates, and after winged aphids are produced, they migrate to other hosts. In October to November, they return to peach trees to overwinter.

② Mealy plum aphid Hyalopterus arundinis Fabricius: It mainly harms ornamental peach, mountain peach, plum, cherry blossom, apricot, plum, and so on. It occurs in multiple generations per year. In winter, it overwinters as eggs on branches or in bud crevices of peach, plum, and so on. It hatches in early April of the following year, and wingless viviparous female aphids continuously reproduce. In May, winged aphids appear and migrate to grass weeds of the family Gramineae to cause damage.

③ Cotton aphid Aphis gossypii Glover: It mainly harms hibiscus, hollyhock, Chinese hibiscus, pomegranate, redbud, chrysanthemum, orchid, plum, and so on. It generally occurs in 20 to 30 generations per year. The winter hosts are hibiscus, pomegranate, and so on, on which the cotton aphid lays eggs to overwinter. Among flowers, the summer hosts are chrysanthemum, citrus, and so on.

④ Rose long-tube aphid Macrosiphum rosirorum Zhang: It mainly harms rose, rosebush, and other flowers. It occurs in multiple generations per year, mainly through viviparity. It generally overwinters as adult aphids on the leaf buds and undersides of leaves of the host. From early April of the following year, it parasitizes and reproduces on new shoots, young leaves, and flower buds of rose. In mid-April, winged aphids begin to appear and rapidly reproduce and cause damage.#p#Pagination title#e#

Aphids reproduce rapidly at around 20 degrees Celsius and under dry climate conditions, while high temperature and high humidity are unfavorable for reproduction. The peak periods of damage and reproduction are generally in mid-May and mid-to-late October, so timely control is necessary.

(3) Control methods: ① Clean the garden and nursery to eliminate overwintering sources of the insects; ② Protect natural enemies such as ladybugs and lacewings; ③ Chemical control: choose to spray 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate at 1000 times dilution, 73% chlorpyrifos at 1500 times dilution, 40% profenofos emulsifiable concentrate at 2000 times dilution, 25% deltamethrin emulsifiable concentrate at 3000 times dilution, etc., spraying 2 to 3 times consecutively.