Aphids are small, soft-bodied plant pests. These bugs are also called greenflies or plant lice. They crawl around plants, sucking juices from new leaves, stems, and flower buds.
Aphids can multiply rapidly and spread from one indoor plant to the next. If you notice an aphid infestation on one of your plants, check all of your houseplants and take steps to control the problem as soon as possible.
Outdoors, they have natural predators like ladybugs, parasitic wasps, and other insects, so they rarely become problematic in the garden. Indoors, however, their numbers can quickly get out of control.
What do Aphids Look Like
There are literally hundreds of different types of aphids. They are usually green or yellow, but there are also black, pink, and white aphids.
Adult females do not need a male to produce young. There are winged and wingless aphids. They are born without wings, but when the infestation grows, some will develop wings to go out and search for other houseplants to feed on.
All aphids have two small tubes (cornicles) at the back of their body. They use these to release a defensive waxy substance and an alarm pheromone to warn the other aphids in case of attack by a predator.
Each type of aphid has its preferred plant to invade, but they are not super picky. Many aphids will feed on a wide range of plants if their favorite plant is not available.
Not looking at aphids on your plant? Find out what other common plant pests there are and how to recognize them.
How to Recognize Aphid Infestation on Plants
The signs of an aphid infestation are usually pretty obvious if you know what to look for to recognize the damage to your plant.
The aphids will suck the plant juices, causing the leaves to wilt and curl, and eventually yellow and fall off. You may notice discolored spots, the plants’ growth becomes stunted, and new buds will look deformed.
You might also notice honeydew on the plant excreted by the aphids. This looks like spots of shiny, sticky film on the leaf surfaces. Black sooty mold can start to grow on the honeydew.
Young aphids also shed their skins approximately four times before maturing, so the small, white skins they leave behind are another sign of an aphid infestation.
Where do Aphids come from?
There are a few ways that aphids can get on indoor plants:
- Often they were already there when you bought the plant. Buying your plants at a reputable nursery or plant shop gives a better chance of not bringing in pests, but there is always a chance of a missed bug. So inspect before you buy and keep your new plants separate until you know there are no unwanted guests.
- Aphids can also just fly in or blown in by the wind through an open door or window. If they come across one of your plants they will settle down and start sucking on the leaves.
- Another option is that you might have inadvertently carried them into your home on your clothes, or maybe they hitchhiked inside on your pet’s fur.
Do Aphids Bite Humans?
No, aphids do not bite humans. They feed on the sap of various types of vegetation. They do not have the mouthparts necessary to bite humans or animals. They are not harmful to humans, but some people may have an allergic reaction to aphids, but not as a direct result of being bitten.
How to Get Rid of Aphids Permanently
With any infestation, it is important to get rid of the pests as early as possible at the first signs of them. They won’t go away on their own, so act quickly.
The first thing to do is isolate the infested plant immediately. Place it in a separate room. Aphids can spread from infected plants to nearby uninfested plants.
Remove and discard leaves that are heavily affected and covered with aphids.
How to control small infestations
Wash the infested plant with tepid water in a sink or under the shower. Make sure to drench the plant and get the undersides of all the leaves. Carefully rub the pests away under the running water.
To get rid of the aphids permanently, repeat rinsing two or three times, at three-day intervals to eliminate any newly hatched eggs.
Another way to treat small outbreaks is by squashing them with your thumb and index finger. Put on gloves to make it less icky.
Use a wet rag to wipe the upper and lower surface of each leaf blade, as well as along the stem. Crush the aphids as you go. Again, repeat two or three times to catch newly hatched eggs.
Closely monitor your plant in the weeks after to make sure they are all gone.
What to do about more severe infestations
If the outbreak is more severe, you can wash and treat your plant with an organic insecticidal soap (natural pest control that doesn’t burn foliage).
It is important to repeat this routine as well. Do it again three days later, after that twice at weekly intervals. Keep a watchful eye on your plant until no bugs are detected for several weeks.
You can also try to get rid of the aphids with horticultural oil like neem oil. Neem oil is a popular natural non-toxic insecticide made from the seeds of the neem tree. Neem oil disrupts the pests’ life cycle, making it difficult for them to feed, molt, and lay eggs. If properly applied it can be very effective. Mix the neem oil with water and spray it on the affected plant. Repeat every 3-7 days until the infestation is under control.
If your plant is severely infested, it might just not be saved. It’s often best to toss it rather than risk your other plants with its presence.