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Warm spring brings out bug that poops candy

Aphid populations can explode in late March

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED MAR 29, 2021

These aphids are starting to do their damage to a developing rose bud. The

warm weather has brought them out. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

How can there be so many aphids so soon? Where did they come from?

Along with this beautiful weather came an onslaught of hungry aphids. They love warm (not hot) temperatures in the 65- to 80-degree range. Like this week’s forecast.

According to the UC Cooperative Extension master gardeners, aphids can multiply so quickly because they can reproduce without sex. Each female aphid can birth a dozen baby aphids a day.

“When the weather is warm, many species of aphids can develop from newborn nymph to reproducing adult in seven to eight days,” explain the master gardeners. “Because each adult aphid can produce up to 80 offspring in a matter of a week, aphid populations can increase with great speed.”

Typically, Sacramento can see 12 to 20 generations of aphids between now and late fall, when cold weather finally halts this aphid population boom.

Ants often play a role in aphid attacks. Ants herd aphids onto plants, then harvest their honeydew, a sweet secretion that’s mostly sugar. To ants, that honeydew is just like candy.

George Zaidan, author of “Ingredients: The Strange Chemistry of What We Put In Us and On Us,” explains aphids’ unusual cycle of life and their relationship to ants in this very fun video: “The bug that poops candy.” View it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVdynVuJsBo .

You’ll never think about aphids, ants and honeydew the same way again.

As for controlling aphids, blast them off of plants with a strong stream of water. Their soft bodies can’t survive the fall.

Or spray aphids on plants with insecticidal soap. Or make your own bug soap: Add 1 teaspoon liquid soap (such as Ivory or Dr. Bronner’s) to 1 quart water. Put in a spray bottle and squirt away.

For more on aphids: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7404.html

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Keywords:

gardening Sacramento integrated pest management pests roses ants spring aphids weather

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Garden Checklist for week of April 21

This week there’s plenty to keep gardeners busy. With no rain in the immediate forecast, remember to irrigate any new transplants.

* Weed, weed, weed! Get them before they flower and go to seed.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* Smell orange blossoms? Feed citrus trees with a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants.

* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.

* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden is really hungry. Feed shrubs and trees with a slow-release fertilizer. Or mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash.

* Plant onion sets.

* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias.

* Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.

* Mid to late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce seedlings. Choose varieties that mature quickly such as loose leaf.

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