Why you suddenly see aphids everywhere: 5 causes
You suddenly see it everywhere: young shoots full of aphids, sticky leaves, curled leaves… Many gardeners are dealing with a real aphid invasion this spring. But don't aphids occur every year, you would think? That's right. But the numbers now are striking – and are no coincidence. In this article we dive into 5 underlying causes of the aphid explosion. And we show you what you can do about it – without reaching for pesticides.
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Discover why there are extra aphids on your plants this spring, what that says about our way of gardening and what you can do about aphids yourself.
Aphids reproduce rapidly in warm weather. And this spring has been quite warm so far. Add to that the fact that the spring is extremely dry (which means that rain does not wash the bugs away), and you have the ideal conditions for a rapid infestation. Due to the changing climate, with milder winters, warmer springs and more extremes, infestations may also appear earlier and more severely in the future. Your garden is therefore a kind of mirror of larger shifts.
What can you do? You can’t change the weather, but you can make your garden more resilient. Think of ground covers to prevent dehydration, and lots of plant variety so that not everything is vulnerable at the same time.
Ladybirds, lacewings, hoverfly larvae, tits – they all love aphids. But they have to be there, and that is often not the case. Many gardens are neat, tiled, pruned bare or uniformly planted. There are few hiding places, little nectar and especially few reasons for natural enemies of aphids to hang around. The fewer predatory insects, the faster aphids gain the upper hand. That is not bad luck, that is a system problem.
What can you do? Provide biodiversity: cluttered corners, flower borders, and herbs such as dill, coriander or fennel that attract hoverflies. Hang up nesting boxes for tits and attract more birds to your garden . Give the natural enemy a home.
Over-fertilization – especially nitrogen-rich fertilizer – causes plants to grow very quickly. And that makes them extra vulnerable to aphids, because they love all that young, juicy green. Roses, dahlias and legumes in particular then become an aphid buffet.
What can you do? Organic fertilizers work slower than artificial fertilizers and ensure more stable growth. This makes your plants more resilient. Also important: fertilize targeted and moderately - it is better to give too little than too much.
In many gardens you see the same patterns: plants grouped by type and little variation. A row of beans here, a rose bed there. That looks neat, but for pests it is a highway. Once aphids are inside, they can easily spread.
What can you do ? Combine more different types of plants. Plant nasturtiums between your beans to attract aphids away from your vegetables, mix herbs and flowers through your borders and make sure there is always something in bloom. Diversity slows down pests and attracts useful insects.
Tip!
As soon as we see aphids, we often immediately reach for a 'solution': spray, soap, vinegar, oil or chemical agents. But in doing so, we also kill the natural enemies that we actually need. Moreover, aphids quickly develop resistance, while their attackers recover much more slowly. This creates a vicious circle: combating them leads to even more plague.
What can you do? First observe: as soon as the natural enemies know where the buffet is, they will join in. Furthermore, you can simply spray away small aphid infestations with a strong jet from a plant sprayer. You can also use biological control agents, such as ladybirds – both adults and larvae. One larvae eats up to a hundred aphids per day, so they are gone quickly.
Aphids are a nuisance, but they are also a signal that the system is out of balance. The plague shows where your garden is still vulnerable – and therefore also where you can improve. See it as an opportunity. Not to fight harder, but to garden smarter. Your efforts will be rewarded, not only with fewer aphids, but with more life and a healthier garden.
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