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Are aphids particularly bad this year?

jayne10bjayne10b Posts: 105
in Problem solving
This is my second year as a more serious gardener so I've not built up the widsom that some of you may possess.

My query is, that I notice there seem to be way more aphids on my roses this year than I remember last year.  Is this normal, is there a yearly variation and if so, do you know what causes it or is it fairly random.

Luckily, I did see a ladybird on there this morning, so I'm hoping a balance will be struck quite soon.

TIA
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Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I agree
    Many of my roses seem to be suffering this year both with aphids and rose sawfly is getting a grip on many of them with tightly curled leaves.
    I'm guessing the roses are stressed from the drought we've had here for over a year

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    There are some huge blackfly on the red campion. The tits don't seem to have found them yet.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    I think it's hopefully going to be a good year for insects in general. Favourable conditions last year and a mildish winter.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I was going to ask the same thing. There are clouds of aphids in the air by me. Everything from apple trees to roses to honeysuckle is covered in aphids. My garden is unusually coated in the creatures. The birds seem entirely uninterested. The ants are having a field day but there's not a ladybird in sight. There never is here.
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    We have got massive amounts of blackfly on so many shrubs, only seem one ldybird, saw quite a few early in the year
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Not particularly here but i have been vigilant👺
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Not here either, they are at manageable level. Not a sign of black fly on the broad beans either...but shouldn’t have said that, they will probably all descend tomorrow.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • Janie BJanie B Posts: 963
    Loads of aphids (feels like more than usual) here in Lincolnshire...
    Lincolnshire
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    We do have a lot of aphids but so many ladybirds 🐞 especially at the allotment so hoping it will all balance out. 
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I agree @Janie B lots of greenfly but not black. Have seen ladybirds but not in the numbers needed. The sparrows are helping, just need the birds with young to up the numbers taken.
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