Aphid Control:

Aphids are sap-sucking insects that can be found on a very wide range of plants. They are one of the common pests to attack garden plants. Aphids will attack all parts of a plant including its leaves, shoots, flowers, stems and even roots.

Most commonly, aphids are seen in large numbers clustered around tender young growth often causing shoots to become weak and distorted. If numbers of aphids are very high they can actually kill the plant they are living off.

Aphids are part of the Superfamily 'Aphidoidae' and are described as small (1-10 mm) soft bodied insects with or, more commonly without, wings. They possess a proboscis which originates between and behind the forelegs, their antennae has two thick basal segments and a flagellum composed of up to 4 segments, the last of which is divided into a proximal part and a thinner distal part called a 'process terminalis'.

They possess two compound eyes and two ocular tubercles made up of three lenses each which are situated behind and above the compound eyes. They have two tarsal segments, the wings when present have only one prominent longitudinal vein. The fifth abdominal segment bears a pair of upward and backwardly pointing tubes on the dorsal surface called siphunculi (cornicles) and a cauda is usually present below and between them on the last abdominal segment.

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