There are no ants in the photo, which is a good sign. Ants would spread the aphids plant-to-plant, and could cause major disease problems.

My garden goes through a similar aphid population explosion in June & early July. Some of mine is ant-borne, so if disease begins to spread, I eliminate the ants first (with bait), then use soap spray to kill the aphids in that area.

Sometimes - but not always - it only takes patience. For the most part, I put up with the aphids, until the predator population begins to grow in mid-July. Ladybugs, lacewings, and predatory flies flourish; there even seem to be tiny predatory wasps feeding on them. By mid-August or so, there is hardly an aphid to be found, except under the corn husks. In my garden, it's an annual cycle.

Sometimes the infestation is severe enough to require immediate treatment; I grow edamame soybeans, and they sometimes get infested to the point of stunting the plants. In this case, using soap spray is the simplest & safest method to eliminate them.

But before doing so, examine the plants closely for predatory larvae, which would also be killed. They represent the best hope for long-term aphid control; so if you find them, or if adult ladybugs or lacewings are common in your garden, it may be best to let Nature take its course.

I grow peppers under spun polyester row covers, to save pure seed. The floating row cover cages exclude pollinators - and the aphid predators. But a few of the much smaller aphids are able to squeeze through. Aphids multiply faster than rabbits (they are born pregnant), and by the time I open the cages a month later, many of the plants are infested - sometimes heavily.

But within a few days, an incredible array of predators has begun attacking the aphids, ladybugs in particular. Within a few weeks, they have completely destroyed the aphids on the peppers.

Where's Waldo? ;o)

[Granite shivers and starts praying]

Paint with soapy water or 10% vinegar water. Wait 1 hour. Go back and rinse the plant with water. Check later in the day and repaint any other infested area.

I know we should wait for the beneficials, but aphids just give me the creepy heebie-jeebies. Its a mob scene! Its an invasion! Bring in the tanks.

Ok, in reality [ie,less melodrama acting by me], when the midsummer aphid invasion arrives they do seem to prefer sunflowers to everything else with the exception of the growing tips of the asparagus beans in my garden. I let the beneficial insects handle the sunflowers, and I handle the attacks on the beans. It is one of the reasons that I plant a backing row of sunflowers in my garden every year. The sunflowers also attract bees, butterflies, birds.....and I just like looking at them.

You only have one kind of insect.

-- The small ovals are live aphids.
-- The small white things are cast skins of aphids, shed as the aphids become larger.
-- The darker critters with wings are winged aphids. These develop in response to crowding.

So calm down and get revenge -- squish until exhaustion sets in, or wash off with harsh water spray, or use insecticidal soap diluted to directions.

What ever you do, repeat as needed because, if you miss just one, she can re-populate the plant by herself.

great photo! Amazing how the leaf is so healthy even with all those aphids feeding.

I've been fighting those nasty things for more than a month now on my cucumbers and cantaloupes and to a lesser extent watermelons. They have pretty much wiped out the cucumbers. At first, they just stunted the growth. Then disease set in. I am down to 1 or 2 surviving plants out of more than 15. I tried the soap spray and I tried pesticides. The aphids always returned within days. They have stunted the growth on the cantaloupes, but all 4 plants are still alive. Same for the watermelons. I wish I had the abundance of beneficial bugs that other people seem to have. I have a few ladybugs, but not many. And I don't really know what the other beneficials would look like. I am sure I killed some with the pesticide, but I had to do something quickly. I will keep spraying the soapy water every few days, but it's taking a toll on the plants too I think. I just hate those dang aphids! Like someone pointed out, they reproduce so quickly!

I said this before at another time and in this place, and it kicked up a storm of debate -- those who agreed, and those who didn't -- but I'll say it again because here we are in the middle of the season and I can happily say that I've won the battle. Again.

Marigolds, marigolds, marigolds. I place eight potted marigolds (miniature kind) around my garden, and I am aphid free. Did I not see a single aphid? That would be asking for too much. There have been a few that made it through, but the few I saw were blown away with the water-blast treatment. As stated, my garden is healthy and aphid free to the extent that I don't even bother to look for them anymore.

I'm going to suggest marigolds and benificials. At the garden centers you can often buy a bag of live ladybugs, at dusk open bag and release them on plants, some will fly off, that's ok, many will find the bug buffet and settle right in. Let some ladybugs move in, put out a couple of cheap marigolds in lil pots, and see how it improves.

Zeedman has the correct answer. Let them alone this year and you just might have none the next 10 years.

I too leave them alone. sometimes I find a lady bug lion and move him onto one of the infected plants. that takes care of that plant.

Really now I have no more aphid problems. a plant or two and it is gone in a few days. never a problem any more. When I see some aphids I say great I found some lady bug food. The lady bugs will stay around if there is food for them.

When I see aphids on a plant I am very calm and leave them alone or maybe brush some off with the fingers. But basically mother nature takes care of everything. Where else will the lady bug larva get some food.

I don't have any advice for you as aphid problems are rare in my garden and knock on wood, never anywhere near as severe as you have experienced.

If pesticides have not worked for you then I recomend not using them anymore as they are very effective at killing aphid predators.

That's the cruel irony of pesticides (broad spectrum ones anyway). One uses them to kill something and it may or may not kill that something, but it also kills the predators and then some bug not affected by the pesticide sets up shop and explodes it's population.

If you are using soap sprays are you using an actual insecticidal soap or a dish 'soap' that may not really be soap? If you are using anything not labeled as an insecticidal soap please stop. Too much potential for plant problems.

It's probably too late this year, but battling them with very short lived, on contact only pesticides like insecticidal soaps or even sharp water sprays *may* be of benefit down the road. Predators populate slower than pests so there is some truth in saying the pest population has to be present for awhile to give the predators a chance to move in and set up shop.

Anyway, good luck and happy growing. It can be frustrating at times, but gardening is definitely one of those things where it's more about the journey than the destination.

Oh wow! I didn't expect this much advice but THANK YOU for it!

Thanks jean001 - I thought I was seeing 3 different kinds of bugs, I didn't know they were all aphids.

Zeedman I think I'm going to cry. My yard and garden are FILLED with ants because I let them live thinking that they EAT aphids, not spread them around. I'm going to get some ant bait TODAY and finish those dirty-buggers off.

I also have lots of mealybugs (the white fuzzy ones), a few squash bugs (which got squashed), and tons of ladybug larvae (the alligator looking ones).
What can I spray that WONT hurt the ladybug larvae?

Can I spray plain old dishsoap? Or does it have to be a special bought insect soap?

Thanks so much!

Can I spray plain old dishsoap? Or does it have to be a special bought insect soap?

Please use *only* store bought insecticidal soaps.

There are some products not labeled for use on plants that work and don't harm plants, but there are many that don't work and/or will result in burned, scorched plants. Many soaps aren't soaps at all and contain perfumes and other things that plants do not respond well to.

Some will suggest soaps like Dr. Bonners and while I have never used it I believe it probably does work well and not harm plants, but I don't screw around and take chances in my garden. I go to the nursery and buy insecticidal soaps that are formulated to be effective killers of soft bodied insects, contain nothing harmful to plants (and require no rinsing after application) and include label instructions for how much to use per gallon of water.

Yes an insecticidal soap costs more, but that is because it is a refined product and works well and safely (and because folks will pay for it ;-), but there is nearly zero risk of plant damage if you read the label and follow the instructions exactly.

What can I spray that WONT hurt the ladybug larvae?
I am not sure that any "spray" won't also kill other beneficial insects.

YUKKKK! Gross!!

That is disgusting! Owwww, now I feel all creepy crawly.

"I also have... tons of ladybug larvae (the alligator looking ones)."

Then your aphid problem is being taken care of naturally; I would recommend taking no further action against the aphids. Any spray that you use will kill the ladybug larvae also, and since the aphids multiply more rapidly than the ladybugs, could actually make the problem worse.

The ants, however, are a different story. If I didn't control their population, I would have ant _hills_ in my garden (I had them one year). If you control the ants, Nature will control the aphids.

I fed the ants today. Hehehehe (laughing evilly).
Im so glad I found out that ants spread aphids. I'd been leaving them alone this whole time.

Susandonb, I feel all creepy and crawly too after sitting under squash plants for 2 hours squishing aphids with my fingers! :) I stood up with green aphids all over my clothes, in my hair, and green juice dripping from my hands. My husband wouldn't let me in the house until I'd brushed and hosed off. :D lol

Great photo.

It varies region to region, but for my modest/manageable gardens grown over the years I find spraying off the plants with a hose a decent method until the predators show up.

It's not 100%. It's not a sure thing. It's not a great idea for places that are extremely humid. It can cause disease and mold/fungus conditions in less than ideal conditions...still, it works for me and should work for anyone who has healthy plants growing in a clean/mulched soil.

Much like another poster, we tend to have our aphid "invasion" scarey-bad for a week or two followed by a near disappearance over time once the predators find out where the newest restaurant has opened up.

Knocking the aphids off with water delays the damage, but does little to the population except for those that can't find plant life again. This delay usually gives my small gardens enough time for nature to do its thing, though. Only had to use insecticidal soap in 2 applications in the past 3 summer garden seasons.