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Fruit & Orchards

4000 ladybugs and an aphid farm-help!

14 years ago

My potted trees spent the winter in the garage, which was heaven for the aphids. I thought I had gotten rid of all of them with ladybugs; 2 different sets of 2000! Well, I just noticed that the ants have taken over my Green Gage and all the fruits are falling and there are thousands of aphids. Do the ants prevent the ladybugs from working? How do I get rid of the aphids now? Is there a wash I can use that won't destroy the leaves?

Also, I notice clusters of black eggs on the bottoms of the leaves. Are these maybe ladybug eggs?

Comments (3)

gator_rider2
14 years ago
ladybug eggs are football shape yellowish. If have pressure washer back off 10 foot from plant and wash aphid off by nature a thunder storm take them out rain wind aphid don't travel for only when there winged do travel long distance. ants cultivate ahhids there after there honey due chit in other words its sweet to ants food source.ladybug are not control for ahpids control being 4 or 5 per leaf. You can remove aphid with garden hose but pressure washer create more wind.Black eggs could be ladybug eggs that have mold caused by honey due from aphids.
Scott F Smith
14 years ago
I haven't ever had luck with the purchased ladybugs, only the "native" kind - the purchased ones disappear too quickly. Spray summer oil on the aphids and keep hitting them once or twice a week until they are gone. Eventually you should get a steady native ladybug population and they will naturally take care of many infestations, but still there are times when the weather is particularly good and you will have a bloom of aphids.

Scott
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I wouldn't waste my money on buying non-native ladybugs, frdnicholas. 99% of them will simply fly away. You're better off using a blast of water to your trees, some insecticdal soap, then use Tanglefoot on the trunks to prevent ants from climbing into your trees and farming the aphids. You will need to use a barrier on your trunk such as paper wrap, or you can cut 6" wide strips of landscape barrier cloth wrapped around about 3 times then tied off in a knot, then paint on the Tanglefoot. Never apply Tangelfoot directly to the trunk, as it can heat up and damage the cambium layer in your part of the county (and mine). This is aphid season, and they are pretty easy to control in this way. Let your own native ladybugs show up to take care of the few left. Patty S.
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I've had aphids be a problem mostly indoors-no ants. The aphids I see outside are not a problem. Between aphid wasps,ant lions(lacewing larva),lady bug larva and mantis.They aren't a problen.I seldome see aphids outside. MITES are another story. Did you know that when things get tough for ants to farm aphids on plant leaves they bring the aphids underground and put them on roots. Only the sugar eating ants farm aphids for the stuff they poop out,for lack of a better word. Some ants actually eat any soft bodied bug they can find,some are meat eating hunters.
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Comments (2)
I have few potted pepper plants on back yard and ants have been farming aphids on them. Ladybugs from garden do not like to be in these plants because of the ants. Yesterday I looked under the leaves again and saw some tiny orange larvae with the aphids. I was sure I had got some new pest, but luckily I checked the internet and found that these are actually good guys called Aphidoletes. I will put those ant baits on the ground and maybe their colony will die and the ants will not bother these tiny aphid eaters. It is good that I did not yet get desperate and spray the plants. Nature has a lot of good guys, who will help us, if we do not kill them too. Here is a link that might be useful: Aphidoletes
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Comments (3)
Looks more bacterial than fungal to me - perhaps bacterial speck - but really need to see a close up of the leaf damage as it is the size and pattern of the spots that helps narrow the choices. Either way the treatment is basically the same - strip off affected foliage and use a fungicide. Since you are growing organically your options for fungicides are somewhat limited but one of the copper based sprays is your best option. Aphids don't do damage like that but it appears that something has been munching on the leaf edges so I'd explore carefully for other pests. I hope the color of the new growth is greener than what appears in the photo as those appear rather anemic. Dave PS: who came up with the name "blood aphids"? Of the more than 2000 varieties of aphids that is a new one.
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milehighgirl
Original Author
14 years ago
Well, it looks like I panicked too soon. The black eggs were ladybug eggs just about to hatch. They are covering the leaves and devouring the aphids now. I also have many, many more little "clutches" of yellow eggs. So, I should be okay.

Thanks for your encouragement!

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