Aphid
Soft-bodied sap-sucking insects that cluster on new growth and trigger sooty mold.
Photo: R. E. Snodgrass. [2] (CC0) · public domain/CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Small (1–3 mm), pear-shaped, soft-bodied insects in green, yellow, black or pink depending on the species. Often found in dense clusters on tender new shoot tips and flower buds. Most are wingless; winged forms appear when colonies are stressed.
New tender growth on roses, hibiscus, crape myrtles, milkweed, gardenias, citrus and vegetable plants throughout Florida landscapes.
- Dense clusters of small soft insects on new shoots, buds and leaf undersides
- Sticky honeydew coating leaves below the colony
- Black sooty mold growing on the honeydew
- Curled, distorted or yellowing new growth
- Ants tending the aphid colony
Aphids weaken plants by draining sap from new growth, transmit plant viruses, and the honeydew they excrete fuels sooty mold. Heavy infestations can stunt or kill ornamentals and vegetable plants.
Rhino's lawn & ornamental program treats aphid colonies with targeted contact and systemic products, and manages the ants that protect them, on a schedule that keeps ornamentals clean.
Our Lawn & Ornamental Service service