Forum home Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Insect ID

fluviafluvia Posts: 48
Hi,

Please see photos. What are these tiny black insects on my Pittosporum hedge?


Posts

  • ShepsSheps Posts: 2,236
    Blackfly / Aphids?

    Not sure if they are one and the same.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Yes ... blackfly are a type of aphid.  
    Squirt them off with a hose-pipe, if you're allowed to use a hose.  If not, brush them off with gloved fingers or encourage small birds, wasps, hoverflies, lacewings, and of course, ladybirds ... all of whom will eat them.  
    The growing tips may look disfigured for a while, but it will act like a sort of 'pruning' and encourage sideshoots to grow ... and when you next trim your hedge you'll be removing the growing tips anyway.  

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





  • ShepsSheps Posts: 2,236
  • fluviafluvia Posts: 48
    Thanks both. Appreciate it. Will brush them off for now and keep an eye on it. 
  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    The black fly will not harm the hedge in any terrible way .IJust squirt any I see with an old squirts type bottle with soapy water in .It works on some plants and not on others …….you could try that if you like .
  • fluviafluvia Posts: 48
    Thank you, good to know these won't harm the hedge plants.
Sign In or Register to comment.