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• Identify Aphids
• Types of Aphids
• Aphid control

Aphids are mainly found on the young parts of the plant, along the young shoots, on and under the leaves and in the flower heads. Especially the striking, white shedding skins that leave aphids, reveal their presence. Aphids cause damage in several ways:

• The aphid secretes honeydew on which sooty mold can develop, which pollutes the plant and reduces photosynthesis. 
• Aphids also extract cellular moisture from the plant, which weakens it.
• You can also see that the young parts of the plant deform because the aphid suck its nutrients from them. This causes growth inhibition. 
• It can also happen that the leaves curl and yellow spots appear on the leaf because of Aphids.

There are many different types of aphids. Each aphid type, causes different damage to the crop. Some aphids transmit toxins to plants resulting in an allergic reaction of the plant. Others transmit viruses. The most common types of aphids in greenhouse crops are:

Black bean aphid (Aphis fabae)

Aphids reproduce quickly in large numbers. This means that this pest can cause an enormous amount of damage in a short period of time. It is therefore very important to detect aphids at an early stage. In this way, the pest can be controlled as quickly as possible. The striking white skin sheaths – which they leave - betray their presence.

Aphid control is increasingly carried out with natural enemies, because aphids are increasingly resistant against authorised insecticides. Controlling Aphids can be done using different natural enemies. Biological aphid control is therefore increasingly common to control this pest. Our specialists will be happy to give you advice.

Biological control of aphids has several advantages:

• Highly efficient searching behavior: natural enemies search for aphids very efficiently - even at low pest pressure and in places difficult to reach for pesticides.
• Very voracious: biological control agents are very voracious, especially the larvae. They often kill more aphids than they need for food.
• Preventively deployable (some species): some species are preventively deployable. This keeps pest pressure low because the pest controller is already present in the greenhouse. 
• Side effect on other pests: Some biological control agents can kill other pests in addition to aphids.
• No chemical residue on the plant.

Biological control of aphids can be done using various types of aphidicides. Each natural enemy has its own specialty. Some aphidicides work specifically on a species of aphid. By using a combination of different aphids you create an efficient approach to the pest. The following natural enemies are used against aphids:

• Parasitic wasps and parasitic wasp mixes
  There are many different species of parasitic wasps, but the species Aphidius colemani (APHIcontrol) and Aphidius ervi (ERVIcontrol) are most commonly used. For control of small aphids such as cotton aphid, red aphid and green peach aphid, Aphidius colemani can be used. For larger aphids such as potato aphid and glasshouse potato aphid, Aphidius ervi can be used. There are also parasitic wasp mixes. These are crop-specific compositions consisting of two or more species of parasitic wasps. With a parasitic wasp mix you control a broad spectrum of aphid species at once.
• Gall midge
  The gall midge Aphidoletes aphidimyza (APHIDOcontrol) is a gall midge widely used as an aphid controller. The gall midge does not discriminate between types of aphids. The larvae of gall midges are effective pest controllers because of their voraciousness. The adult gall midge uses its strong search ability to find an aphid hotspot and then lays an egg among the aphids. 
• Lacewings
  The lacewing Chrysoperla carnea (CHRYSOcontrol) is well suited for high pest pressure of all types of aphids, because the larvae are very voracious. In addition, this lacewing also has an effect on whitefly, spider mites, thrips, butterfly eggs and mealybug larvae. 
• Hoverflies
  The larvae of the hoverfly: Episyrphus balteatus are very voracious. This natural enemy can already be used at a slightly lower temperature. The green larva of the hoverfly Sphaerophoria rueppellii can eat up to 200 aphids per cycle. The adults feed on pollen and nectar. They can also survive on other prey such as thrips, spider mites and whitefly. Sphaerophoria rueppellii is active at a temperature of 12 to 40°C, with them performing best between 25 to 35°C.
• Predatory beetles
  The ladybug Adalia bipunctata (ADALIAcontrol) is a well-known predatory beetle against aphids. The larvae of this beetle are very voracious, which makes them suitable for use in aphid hot spots.

Chemical control of aphids can be done using plant protection products. We can divide this into chemical correction agents and green agents; 

• Chemical pesticides 
  There are several chemical correctives against aphids. Discuss in advance with your crop protection specialist whether the agent you want to use is permitted in your crop and whether it can be combined with natural enemies.
• Green agents
  In addition to using natural enemies and any correctives, consider using green agents of natural origin. THe agents help suppress aphid infestation and can be combined with the use of natural enemies.

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