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pests Aphids up close and personal

patrick

patrick

I was doing the aphid patrol this a.m. and found these SOB's hanging out. Plucked the leaf and set it under the microscope to get a good look at them.

Green ass juice wheezing pepper killing parasites. I hate 'em.:mad:

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Cute ain't they? Maybe squished between my fingers.
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The one with the X may have dropped some eggs between photographs, you can see what could be the sac here. This is also what they look like when they're covered with a layer of Dawn dish washing liquid so it could just be a bubble.

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This was a small plant and I was able to look on/under every leaf on it. I found three other leaves with them; one with about half as many and two others with a single fat one. I hosed it down with safer soap and I'll get it two more times over the next few days.
 
I feel your pain, I've had a horrible time with the little feckers between them killing off flower buds before they open, wilting open flowers and some leaf fungus. (I don't know if it was them but I choose to blame it on them).

Squish 'em now, squish 'em good, squish 'em like you know you should.
 
Wow I hate those little guys but that is by far the most detailed pic of them I've ever seen in any textbook. Now you know why they are so hard to find and kill! Amazing pics really patrick sorry for the bugs.
 
Fantastic pictures. I've been battling them as well. They took a few weeks of growth off of my orange habs. I'm JUST starting to get ripening pods on them despite being started early February.
 
Nice pic, but ugly critters Patrick.

I couldn't keep them off two plants this year no matter what I threw on them. Any harsher chemicals only stunted the growth of the plant and seemed to harm the leaves. I finally just let the plants go in an area away from the other plants. Finally pulled each plant out of the pots roots and all when the leaves and branches were literally covered with aphids. Nasty critters were so thick you could of scrapped them off with a butter knife.
 
The one with the X on it didn't lay an egg, it pooped. That is the sugary, sticky secritions that poop out. This is also what attracts ants. Ants love the stuff and protect the aphids from other predators.
 
Thanks for the nice words gang.

Iggy, thanks for telling me what that was. That didn't even enter my mind. I knew that ants will actually farm the darn things like a herd of cattle.

I must say that I've had it pretty easy aphid wise this year. That's the most I've seen on one plant. I check plants every day and usually find a few here and there and then it's attack with the safer soap. You just have to stay on top of them or else. If they get a head start you're plant will have a hard time surviving.

Sorry to hear how hard they're hitting you RJ. Smart move on your fix.
 
Great pics. I don't have anything capable of taking such great close ups, but I did manage to snap a picture of this little guy. He's patrolling one of my Billy Goat Red plants. I put it next to my hab plant because the aphids seem to really like that one as well. He should grow strong with all the feed in my greenhouse. I'd love it if he invited a few of his friends over for an all you can eat smorgasbord and really partied it up

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Blister said:
Great pics. I don't have anything capable of taking such great close ups, but I did manage to snap a picture of this little guy. He's patrolling one of my Billy Goat Red plants. I put it next to my hab plant because the aphids seem to really like that one as well. He should grow strong with all the feed in my greenhouse. I'd love it if he invited a few of his friends over for an all you can eat smorgasbord and really partied it up

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I love lady bugs they are little cannibals!

Great photos too Pat ! I hope you get them under control.
 
Those little sons of bitches are all over my chile pequin outside, and starting to migrate to the fatalii and scorpion. I'm soaking their asses in safer soap, but if that doesn't work i'm going to buy something that will kill all living organisms within a 1/4 mile. I refuse to let those bastards get inside and ruin my hydro plants!
 
All my aphids turned into mummies, the rest were eaten by ladybugs. Have not seen one since.

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I love parasitic wasps!
 
Really fantastic pics Patrick. That's one large crowd of pests.

One of my pots got a heavy top dressing with DE today to combat the ant invasion. After seeing your pics it reminded me I need to check that plant for aphids tomorrow. That's one bug that serves no useful purpose.
 
Great pics Pat, some sort of digital microscope is it? Hope you make the bastards suffer. I got aphids last summer for the first time in 5 years of growing tomatoes and chillies, so I'm likely to see them again next year. I sprayed them once with a pyrethrum spray and they all seemed to die without causing any damage but those crafty ants probably have plenty stashed away.
 
Nothing as fancy as a digital 'scope, wish I did have one. I have an old microscope and I just shoot the pic through the eye piece.

Best of luck to you TCG. Don't let them get a foothold inside.
 
Impressive pics!
Nasty bastards.
I battled with them this summer in my hotel room, and thought the fight was over as I haven't seen any in over a month. I rooted some cuttings of a Kalocsa, and 2 days ago I noticed the entire cuttings were covered, including the stems! Went straight into a trash bag. Haven't seen them on any other plant that I have, but now I know that they are planning a return attack. BASTARDS! BASTARDS! BASTARDS!
 
patrick said:
Nothing as fancy as a digital 'scope, wish I did have one. I have an old microscope and I just shoot the pic through the eye piece.

Best of luck to you TCG. Don't let them get a foothold inside.
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Those are pretty good pics for taking it through the eyepiece.....didn't know that was possible? Do you have to have the camera on a special setting?
 
origamiRN said:
Impressive pics!
Nasty bastards.
I battled with them this summer in my hotel room, and thought the fight was over as I haven't seen any in over a month. I rooted some cuttings of a Kalocsa, and 2 days ago I noticed the entire cuttings were covered, including the stems! Went straight into a trash bag. Haven't seen them on any other plant that I have, but now I know that they are planning a return attack. BASTARDS! BASTARDS! BASTARDS!
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What Origami's face may have looked like upon making this discovery. :lol:

God I hate aphids. Deserve nothing better than death by fire!
 
chillilover said:
Those are pretty good pics for taking it through the eyepiece.....didn't know that was possible? Do you have to have the camera on a special setting?
Click to expand...

I use the macro setting and that's it. It usually takes a few before a good one shows up.
 
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