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Tiny black bug (Aphids)

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Aphids, Ants and lady beetles
by: Moni

Anonymous
Ants feed on the 'honeydew' produced by aphids. And to make sure they have honeydew to eat the ants will prey on the lady beetles to protect the aphids.
So, get rid of the aphids, which will get rid of the ants, so you don't need lady beetles.
A good spray with water every week or so helps to keep the aphid population at bay.

Which came first the chicken or the egg??
aphids and ants
by: Anonymous

the ants farm the aphids 4 there nectar they have a sybiotic relationship. the ants also eat the lady bug eggs if u get rid of the ants u get rid of the aphids
Aphids on my hibiscus...
by: Anonymous

I live in FL also. My hibiscus that get "all day" sun, have no problems w/aphids. It's the ones that don't get that amount of sun that are problematic. I have tried everything! I don't want to lose this one as I have grown it from a cutting and trained it into a tree. I'm considering moving it into the "all day" sun. Good luck w/yours! Sandie B
Aphids controlled by lady beetles
by: Moni

In the outdoor world, lady beetles work very well keeping aphids under control. The larva eat way more than the beetles.
Here in the Midwest we have Asian lady beetles that come in our homes for the winter. They eat a few of the aphids on my hibiscus, but not enough, so I end up spraying with insecticidal soap. I have even tried putting the beetles on the plant, but since they are not laying eggs this time of year...even in the house, the control is not what is needed.
However, that said, if you son would enjoy watching them, please try it and see.
If you put the plant outside for the summer, the natural predators like lady beetles and lacewings will help with the control.
Let us know how it works!
Thanks!
by: Jennifer

Thank you both for the input! I sprayed it with water, and it seemed to clean the plant up nicely. I'll also try ladybugs. (My son will enjoy catching them! lol!)

Thank you very much!
Aphids
by: julieb

ladybugs love aphids and are available through most gardening centers.It is a great natural way to eliminate these pests
Aphids
by: Moni

Jennifer
You have aphids on your hibiscus. Aphids suck juices out of the plant for food, so you will not see holes left by them. The ants are there to feed on the droppings of the aphids, which is called 'honey dew'.
To get rid of the aphids, since you are in Florida, take the plant outside and either knock the aphids off with a strong jet of water, or you can spray with insecticidal soap. You may need to repeat that in about 2 weeks, because if there are any eggs, they will hatch by that time. Then, the little aphids will start to feed on your plant, so repeating the spray or washing should clean off the plant.
Any time you might see aphids again on the plant, you can spray or wash them off. The aphids do seem to come from nowhere... however there are winged adults that can fly.
They seem to love hibiscus

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