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What are these.....

powderworkspowderworks Posts: 51
in Problem solving
....... and how do I get rid of them ?
I've just gone to dead head some lupins and discovered these very sticky insects.
What are they and how do I get rid of them as seem to be damaging the flowers.
Thanks 

Posts

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Aphids. They love lupins. You can wipe them off with your fingers or use a hose.
  • powderworkspowderworks Posts: 51
    Fire said:
    Aphids. They love lupins. You can wipe them off with your fingers or use a hose.
    Many thanks indeed !
  • borgadrborgadr Posts: 718
    Yo'ull get them on lots of plants. I just live with them and the plants seem to manage, or squish them like @Fire said.

    You can use insecticide, but you'll be harming their predators as well (ladybirds, lacewings, wasps, and you'll be surprised how many small birds) and the aphid populations will recover faster than the predators! That's why I don't bother.
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    you'll never achieve a balance of wildlife if you kill those you class as pests, they're the base of the food chain


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • powderworkspowderworks Posts: 51
    nutcutlet said:
    you'll never achieve a balance of wildlife if you kill those you class as pests, they're the base of the food chain
    I don't grow flowers to wilt under thousands of aphids anymore than I grow broccoli for slugs.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited June 2022
    powderworks said:
    nutcutlet said:
    you'll never achieve a balance of wildlife if you kill those you class as pests, they're the base of the food chain
    I don't grow flowers to wilt under thousands of aphids anymore than I grow broccoli for slugs.
    Then you'll do well to ponder on @Nutcutlet's advice and consider how a balanced ecosystem works.  I have seen her beautiful garden on several occasions ... it does not have thousands of aphids. In fact I don't recall seeing any  :)

    I've not used any insecticides in this garden in over ten years ...  I grow roses, honeysuckle, lupins and clematis among many other flowers.  I also grow broccoli, beans, squashes, and tomatoes amongst other vegetables.  None of them are "wilting under thousands of aphids" or being eaten by slugs.  At the moment the clematis honeysuckle and roses along the fences are full of fledgling birds feasting on any aphid as soon as it appears, and the hedgehogs, newts, toads and frogs deal with the slugs.


     :) 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    I have a hypericum which gets new growth literally covered in blackfly every spring, but once the growth is stronger they leave, and it doesn't affect growth or flowering. 
    That's a pretty flower! I can understand why you wouldn't want to lose it, maybe wipe them off most of the flowers and leave the aphids on a few, that way they can feed whatever eats them, and you can assess any damage and decide how to deal with the problem next time, or not. 
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