[Anonymous]

Hi all

I have hundreds of tiny yellow bugs, bunched up in huge groups, on all my swan plants.

I have just cut the plants all back (based on what I have read in these forums!), but I was wondering if anyone knew what they were and how to manage them. I have a toddler so would rather not use any commercial pesticides if possible.

[Jacqui]

Joanne – see my reply on FB MBNZT page – they are larvae of ladybirds and there to control your aphids.

Jacqui

[Joanne.O]

I am not just dealing with aphids (which are pretty easy to get rid of) but have since found huge leaves with holes bitten through them as well as small black and white spotted insects on leaves, I don’t know what they are, where they come from, if or not they are harmful to my cats and b/flies, they have little legs, and get around, I have posted pics up on fb about this…Please help!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the advice.
I have just popped outside and have squashed whole colonies.
Was pleasantly surprised to find a small number of cats back on my plants! Nearly squashed them as I wasn’t expecting them to be there!!!
Will let you know how it goes.

KiwiMrsMac

[Swansong]

Ha ha good advice swivel, I squash em too, with NO MERCY, and thats the best way if you’ve only got a few, but imagine trying to do that with a hundred or so plants, you’de be there full time I reckon. Thats why I reckon its a good idea to only take on what you can realistically manage. I went and did my little check-up-a-thon, and yep, a wee cluster starting up, of about 10 or so. You seem to have a break of them and then they’ll get the drop on you if you aren’t vigilant … the little blighters : .

Swansong

[NormTwigge]

Your farm advisor was a wise man Neil.

[swivel]

When I was a young man with a big mortgage, 300 cows to milk twice a day and only a little family help from my wife who had a full time job and two young sons like 7 & 8,—-so many things to do,—–an old farm advisor said to me, “never do it twice if once will do”—God rest his soul.

I have ever since lived by that code, thats why I squash em, never have to do it twice!!! Cheers, Neil

[Anonymous]

i have a bottle of sunlight liquid and water (dont no exact quantities – a good old squirt of dishwashing liquid) near the plants and through the summer have tried to inspect a couple of times a day for the wee yellow darlings! I healthy squirt and they are gonners – you have to keep it up as they come back again and again, this hasnt in my experience harmed the cats, i avoid hitting them directly of course and they arent where the bugs are anyway. The water/dishwash mixture is not poisonous to them as such but it coats the bug and suffocates them. I find that i normally have to attack them for two or three days and then i am right for a couple of weeks before the numbers get up again

[Swansong]

Yep, swivels got it about sussed Kiwimrsmac. Lke swivel, I have been getting just accasional start-ups of new infestations but Im onto them and they haven’t become a problem. Cant help but comment, youre ANOTHER one with these yellow aphids. I’ve just been mentioning on other threads how common the yellow ones seem to be this year.

Swansong

[swivel]

Hi Kiwimrsmac,

They are aphids, squash them every day until there aren’t any left and then just check your plants daily or every 2nd day so that any new infestations become apparent to you before they get re-established. It is important to get them before they get established or they will destroy your plants.

If they are as bad as it sounds you may have to do a cleaning job on your plants this first time, I’ll leave that advice to others who will read this. I have been fortunate to have dealt with my aphids from the word go and haven’t had the problems of everything getting fouled up as others have. I’m still getting new infestations periodically but they are easily dealt with in the early stages, just rub your hand around the affected area and squash the little sods. Good luck!! Cheers, Neil

[Author]

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