800-901-1102Quick Facts Aphids
Corky’s Aphid Control Service
Aphids seem to find their way into every garden, orchard, forest and a multitude of green scapes. It is said, that for every plant there is a corresponding aphid.
Aphids are tiny soft bodied insects (adults are under ¼-inch) and are almost invisible to the naked eye. Various species can appear white, black, brown, gray, yellow, light green, or even pink! (Coloration often depends on the plant they infest.) Some may have a waxy or woolly coating. They have pear-shaped bodies with long antennae.
Pink Rose Aphids
Green Aphids
Wooley Aphid
Aphid Eggs
Aphids feed by sucking the nutrient-rich liquids out of plants, attacking leaves, stems, buds, flowers and fruit. And they especially love succulent new growth. In large numbers, they can weaken plants, damaging flowers and fruit. They multiply quickly, as they reproduce asexually and sexually, so it’s essential to get them under control before reproduction starts (spring). Many generations can occur in one season.
Distorted Leaf
Sooty Mold on Leaf
Ant Sipping Honeydew
- Misshapen, curling, stunted, or yellowing leaves. Deformed flowers or fruit.
- Leaves or stems are covered with a sticky substance. This “honeydew,” a sugary liquid produced by the insects as waste, can attract other insects, such as ants, which gather the substance for food.
- The honeydew can sometimes encourage a fungal growth called sooty mold, causing branches and leaves to appear black.
- Aphids may transmit viruses between plants.
A few aphids are not a disaster. But let them go unchecked and they become a huge problem very quickly. Keeping these pests under control takes time and persistence. It is a year-round undertaking and can be daunting for many.
Corky’s Pest Control has an Aphid control service that is designed specifically for the plantings of our Southern California properties.
- The initial service consists of 2 treatment applications (or more, depending on the severity of the infestation), scheduled 14 days apart.
- The first application consists of root drenching and spraying (fogging) of plants. We drench the roots of your roses and hibiscus plants. We perform this drenching once a year. It takes 2 weeks for the product to systemically work its way out to the leaves. This spring application must be done between Feb 15th and May 15th. The earlier the better.
- We also spray a mist on the underside of all the leaves of target plantings with our special fogging machine.
- On the second application, we inspect all the plantings that we treated previously and apply a second fogging application under the leaves of those plantings.
Additional treatments are charged per application, unless you’re on Corky’s Ultimate Pest Control Service, in which case additional treatments are covered under the plan.
Without a regularly scheduled maintenance program, infestations are sure to reoccur. Aphids migrate from neighboring properties and attract other insects such as ants and spiders, that not only infest the landscape but our homes as well. Therefore, guaranteed aphid prevention is included with Corky’s Ultimate Pest Control Service.
Call Corky’s Pest Control to put an end to aphids. Call 1-800-901-1102 or schedule a service online, today.