Apple, beans, beet, cabbage, peppers, corn, basil, eggplants, mint, cucumbers, zucchini, potatoes, roses, peas, citrus, mango, peach, pumpkin, melons, and watermelons
Aphids are small polyphagous (0.5-5 mm), sap sucking insects that come in various colors and shapes. Most aphids don’t have wings, but the ones that do range in colors from black, green, pink, yellow, etc. Aphids are one of the most widely distributed pests in the world.
Feeding can cause stunting and plant/leaf deformities such as curling, while honeydew secretions are a “fertile ground” and a major contributor for the development of sooty mold fungi that in turn can lead to a decrease in photosynthesis.
Aphids are a major vector for dozens of viruses. That alone is enough to put aphids at the top of the most globally, economically hazardous list for commercial crops.
The sooner the better: It’s easier and more cost effective to overcome infestation and successfully eliminate aphids during the initial stage of infestation. Make a routine of monitoring the field regularly and search plants for the presence of aphids on a weekly basis.
Sanitation: Keep your crop’s close surroundings and environmental conditions neat by removing weeds and close by plants that are non-cultivated or protected, which can attract aphids.
Growing inside structures: The most effective way to protect your crop from aphids is simply (but costly) growing them inside a greenhouse or a net structure.
The following insecticides are used in one or more parts of the world: imidacloprid-based product (1 iteration via irrigation or spray can), flonicamid, imidacloprid, pymetrozine, thiamethoxam, sulfoxaflor, acetamiprid, chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, and bifenthrin.
Spray-able products containing one or more of the following molecules: Azadirachtin, neem oil, pyrethrins, potassium salt of fatty acids
Mycoinsecticid, a type of bio-insecticide, is commercially spray-able unique fungi that possess the capability to ”fight” insects.
Most commercially available products will incorporate one or more fungi, such as Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria brongniartii, Isaria fumosorosea, Isaria farinosus, Lecanicillium longisporum, and Lecanicillium muscarium.
Commercially-available beneficial insects such as parasitoid wasp aphidius colemani are regularly used in IPM (integrated pest management).
*Names marked in red are considered to be highly poisonous to beneficial insects.
*Names marked in green are considered to be organic and IPM (integrated pest management) compatible.