Dog Community

What is it? (Gardeners, help!)

Posted : 6/15/2006 6:33:51 AM

I was playing with my camera tonight and I was taking some macro shots of this mini-rose that is going to bloom, when I got the photos uploaded on my computer I saw little bugs, what are they!? ... I about FLIPPED when I saw them, I had no idea they were there! Are, whatever they are, harmful? Should I spray something on them? I'm not a gardener by ANY stretch of the imagination. Thanks for the help:

Shot I was going for, followed by close up of the bugs:

pumaward

Posted : 6/15/2006 6:51:40 AM

They're aphids [

]; they pretty much suck plant juices and, yes, can be harmful. Females can also reproduce aesexually, so it only takes one to build a village, so to speak.

I pity you. Try to get some lady bugs, they LOVE aphids. You might also try dumping soapy water on them, let it sit for a minute, then rinsing off.

There are chemicals you can spray, but I personally try to avoid them.

Benedict

Posted : 6/15/2006 7:12:48 AM

Sera - I am useless with gardening but that first one is a great shot...what do you shoot with?

I have a bunch but my "baby" at the moment is a Canon EOS 350d SLR....I think it may be called something different in the States though. Macro is what really got me into photography in the first place.

Not why this thread was started, but wanted to say that's a beautiful pic.

Kate

Nik

Posted : 6/15/2006 9:38:48 AM

I second the ladybug idea.... They chow down on the nasty aphids

fuzzy_dogs_mom

Posted : 6/15/2006 11:31:20 AM

Yep, look like aphids to me.too Make sure if you've got houseplants that you don't let any of the little buggers get inside.[:'(]

Joyce

Brian Berry

Posted : 6/15/2006 1:04:21 PM

If your lucky your local gardening center or plant nursery might have like bags of ladybugs. A bunch of my plants had aphids once, and i bought two bags of ladybugs and let them go on the plants, no more aphids here[

]

jeano

Posted : 6/15/2006 1:11:24 PM

Yep, and just put your hose on a gentle spray and spray them off every day. Chemicals aren't really needed with aphids. Dilute soapy water makes a good spray and won't harm anything but the bugs. (Dish soap works fine.) Even if you use that, you still basically have to go spray them off the plants every day anyway, so the ladybug idea is good if you can get the dang ladybugs to hang around!

For folks who want to know what that bug is, there is an extremely interesting site I highly recommend.
[linkhttp://www.whatsthatbug.com]What's That Bug?[/link]

You can write to them and send your pics and they'll tell you what's that bug, and you can see all the other letters, too! If you ever need to identify a bug, this is definitely the place!

swamper

Posted : 6/15/2006 8:11:33 PM

I second the dish soap mixed with water idea. It works well and is free of dangerous chemicals.

Sera_J

Posted : 6/16/2006 1:38:01 AM

Wow! Those are the infamous aphids!? I always thought aphids were larger! ... as in I could see them. I truly would have never seen them if I weren't such a photo freak.

Thanks so much guys! I really appreciate the help and ideas... dish soap, got it. I misted them today, and had to snap a few photo's to see if I got them all. Ridiculous! ... little leaches. Wow.

I sent Kate a PM, but in case anyone else was curious, I shoot with a Canon Rebel XT and I was using a Close Up +4 filter

Thanks so much, Kate! I appreciate your kind comments about the pictures... even if they are overrun with nefarious beasties!

Thanks again... I think I got rid of them for now, but I'll look into ladybugs.

Oh, yes and, does the dish soap kill them... or just temporarily remove them?

cakana

Posted : 6/16/2006 10:41:15 AM

I have to say that I've had aphids on different plants, including roses, and I never knew they looked like that - ugh!

You can usually tell because the plant will be sticky, and if you see ants making a path up a plant, it's a sure sign. I think the dish soap suffocates them, but I'm not sure. You may have to do it several times, so I'd just keep a spray bottle mixed up and handy. Looks like you caught them early though cause your roses look beautiful.