Aphids are a little hard to detect because of their small size. However, you may have seen small, green insects in your garden. But how did aphids end up in your garden? Where do aphids come from?
Unfortunately, aphids can be found worldwide, but they prefer slightly warmer temperatures. An aphid egg can appear in your garden from animal faces or wind. Once hatched, they can reproduce sexually and asexually at a rapid rate.
You will usually spot aphids during the spring months when they are the most active. Aphids are found in colonies and are hidden underneath the leaves. An aphid infestation can become widespread very quickly as they reproduce rapidly.
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Do Aphids Come from the Soil?
There are different kinds of aphids, and while some cling to plants, others can be found in the soil. If aphids have been living in the soil, they will take over the roots of the plants.
Aphids that live in the soil are called, as you may have guessed, root aphids.
If you have aphids in the soil, it becomes tricky to get rid of them. However, an easy way to get rid of aphids from your garden is to have natural predators.
These predators, like ladybugs, consume aphids primarily and will help control the overall population. One way to ensure that there are predators in your garden is to make it attractive.
You also have the option of getting ladybugs commercially and letting them loose in your garden. Many suppliers sell ladybugs for this reason only.
Watch Our for Bought Compost
If you buy compost from your local DIY store then you may inadvertently bring aphids into your garden as it can contain aphid eggs. If you have the ability to, then having a compost heap can help prevent this!
What Causes Aphids to Appear?
Sometimes, you may do everything right and still end up with an aphid infestation. There are several reasons why aphids have been appearing in your garden:
Ability to Fly
One of the reasons why aphid infestations spread so quickly is because they can fly.
However, not all aphids can fly, but most of them do. Aphids can cover a lot of distance, which is why they can quickly spread from one garden to another.
In some cases, aphids do not need to fly, and nature does its job for them. Aphids can get blown by the wind from one place to another.
Weak Plants
It is important to take care of your plants and ensure they are healthy. Aphids take over plants that are already unhealthy.
In addition, aphids are known to carry viruses from one plant to another. If your plants are not doing well, they will not stand a chance against aphids.
New Plants
If you are bringing new plants into your garden, there are chances that they have aphids or eggs. When you get these plants into your garden, the aphids spread until it becomes an extensive infestation.
Therefore, before you purchase any plants and bring them home, it is important to check them for aphids. It would help if you focused particularly on the underside of the leaves, as this is where aphids hide.
Do Aphids Lay Eggs in the Soil?
Aphids can lay their eggs in the soil, and they survive for the longest time as they are hardy. However, most aphids are found to lay eggs on the leaves of plants.
If you have a root aphid infestation, they will likely leave eggs in the soil. The eggs are found under the soil, providing them with protection, especially during the cold winter.
If you suspect that there are aphid eggs in your soil, there are a few ways to get rid of them. The first thing you can do is remove the eggs by hand. However, many people are not comfortable with the idea of using their hands.
Instead, you can also use a blast of water to clear aphid eggs.
Another way which works well is using soapy water. The Soapy water kills not only the aphids but also their eggs. You can create your soapy water and add some essential oils to make it even stronger.
FAQs
If you have further questions about aphids and where they come from, these FAQs might help you out:
When are Aphids Most Active?
Aphids can be spotted year-round. However, they are more active in the latter part of Spring or early summer when the temperature is warm but not too hot.
Where Do Aphids Originate?
Aphids can be found worldwide. There are more than 4,000 species of aphids which is why it is hard to pinpoint precisely where they originated from.
Ryan is a keen gardener from the UK who’s spent years dealing with countless, common pests over the years so knows the ins and outs of how to deal with pests in the garden
