Latest news with #DrStephanieBird
The Independent
2 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
Why there are so many aphids this year, and what to do about them
A surge in aphids is being observed in gardens across the UK. Warm spring weather has facilitated rapid aphid colony growth, with some species previously confined to glasshouses now appearing outdoors. Dr. Stephanie Bird from RHS notes that while aphid populations are expected this time of year, their numbers have increased, with 2025 being dubbed 'the year of the aphid'. Aphids can cause distorted plant growth and leave sticky excretions, but they are unlikely to kill established plants, and the RHS advises tolerating them where possible. Gardeners are advised to avoid pesticides, which harm biodiversity, and instead use methods like squashing colonies by hand or planting pollinator-friendly plants to encourage natural aphid predators.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
These sap-sucking insects are rife in UK gardens. Here's how to combat them
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) predicted a surge in sap-sucking aphids following a mild spring. And it was right - it has been a phenomenon evident in gardens across the country. Over the past few weeks, greenfly have been seen wrapping the stems and buds of various flowering perennials and roses. Blackfly have also made their mark, leaving trails on clematis plants. The reason? A warm spring facilitated rapid and early colony growth, leading to a proliferation of aphids on acers, roses, and honeysuckle. Furthermore, certain aphid species, previously confined to glasshouses, are now venturing into outdoor spaces, seeking new plant hosts in beds and borders. 'This is the time of year when you'd expect to see more aphids. Aphids will overwinter or there will be eggs which will hatch out and then populations build up,' says Dr Stephanie Bird, RHS senior plant health scientist. While last year, the slug population exploded in the warm, wet weather, 2025 is the year of the aphid, the RHS has reported, and the number of inquiries it has received up to May about these tiny sap-sucking insects has risen. 'A lot of the aphids we have on our garden plants will have a different summer host that they'll start moving to, and this is the point in the year when predators haven't actually started controlling populations,' says Bird. We have more than 500 species of aphid in the UK, in shades of red, yellow, black, green, brown or pink, some of which feed on specific plants, others which will suck the sap out of a wide host range. They are weather-dependent Weather will affect populations, as aphids will thrive in a warm, dry spring and summer. 'Aphids' life cycles are temperature dependent, and the slightly warmer weather means they they are able to reproduce and build up their numbers slightly quicker,' she explains. And warmer winters lead to earlier activity, she adds. Aphids don't need a partner to reproduce 'They don't need to find a partner and can reproduce asexually. It's a bit like Russian dolls. Inside one aphid there is another aphid and inside that aphid there's another one,' says Bird. Their populations can bloom rapidly. How much damage can aphids do? Many plants tolerate their feeding with no ill effects, but colonies can cause a lack of plant vigour, distorted growth and they often leave a coating of their sticky excretions called honeydew on which sooty moulds can grow. Some aphids also transmit plant viruses. 'They're unlikely to kill plants, especially established ones,' says Bird. 'For instance, if you've a cherry tree which has distorted leaves which are black and sticky, and is covered in cherry black aphids, you will still get cherries off that tree.' Nor should they kill general garden plants – they just make them look unsightly, she adds. Who are their natural enemies? Parasitoid organisms such as wasp larvae develop inside the aphids and eventually kill them. Other predators include birds, predatory midges, earwigs, ladybirds and their larvae, lacewing larvae and hoverfly larvae. 'Hoverflies are beneficial pollinating insects and their larvae feed on aphids,' says Bird. 'Having aphids in your garden is part of the natural garden ecosystem. You need these kinds of insects to feed things higher up in the food chain,' she adds. Hayley Jones, principal entomologist at the RHS, continues: 'Understanding how they can be managed through simple planting choices or encouragement of natural predators will help minimise damage and potential plant losses while maintaining a healthy garden ecosystem.' How can you deter them? The RHS advises gardeners to tolerate them where possible, but if you can't, use your finger and thumb to squash colonies and check plants frequently before the damage has developed. Don't use pesticides, it says, because they reduce biodiversity, including natural enemies, and impact soil health. Encourage natural enemies of aphids into your garden by planting pollinator-friendly plants. Aphids are attracted to many plants. Some are specific to which plant they will invade, such as rose aphids. Others will inhabit many different plants. 'They generally inhabit the same sorts of places, so you'll find them a lot of the time on the undersides of leaves, but they also like the developing softer tissues around flowers and buds,' says Bird. You won't notice aphids on plants such as ornamental grasses and ferns, Bird points out.
