Aphids
What pulls these soft-bodied insects into a single family is their peculiar habit of clustering tightly on tender plant shoots while steadily draining sap and excreting a sticky, sugary liquid called honeydew. Whether they are bright green on your prized tomato plants or dark clusters hiding under rose leaves, they share a plump, pear-shaped build and a maddening talent for multiplying without mating when the weather suits them. You will often notice the leaves glistening with their sticky waste or turning black with sooty mold long before you spot the insects themselves.
You can tell them apart from the usual suspects by checking how they move and what they leave behind on the foliage. If you brush a leaf and a white cloud of insects takes flight, you are looking at whiteflies rather than aphids, which tend to stay put and shuffle along sluggishly. If the leaves are covered in fine silk webbing or silvery scars with tiny black specks, blame spider mites or thrips instead of these slow-moving sap-suckers.
Explore aphids
Questions about aphids
AphidsHow do you get rid of aphids on plants?Learn how to effectively identify and get rid of aphids on plants using safe physical, cultural, and biorational methods.AphidsWhy do ants and aphids have a mutualistic relationship?Ants farm aphids for honeydew, the sugary liquid aphids excrete after drinking plant sap. In return, ants protect them from predators. Here is how it works.AphidsWhat are little green bugs with wings?Little green bugs with wings are usually winged aphids, but they can also be cereal leaf beetles, kudzu bugs or green bottle flies.AphidsHow do you get rid of aphids on roses?A practical, close guide on how to identify and get rid of aphids on roses using integrated pest management, water sprays, and safe cultural practices.AphidsHow do aphids reproduce?In spring and summer, aphid females give birth to live young without mating. In fall, some colonies switch to mating and lay winter eggs.AphidsAre aphids bad for plants?Yes. Aphids drink sap, causing curled leaves, stunted growth and sooty mold. How much harm depends on numbers, plant age and natural predators.AphidsAre aphids harmful to humans?No. Aphids do not bite, sting or carry diseases that affect people. Their mouthparts are too delicate to pierce skin.AphidsCan aphids fly?Learn whether aphids can fly, how winged aphids colonize new plants, and how to identify and manage these garden pests safely.AphidsHow do you get rid of aphids on indoor plants?Isolate the plant, wash or wipe aphids off with water, then spray insecticidal soap or neem oil every 7 to 10 days for a few rounds.AphidsHow do you get rid of woolly aphids?Blast woolly aphids off apple trees with water, then spray insecticidal soap or horticultural oil hard enough to soak through the white wax.AphidsWhat are oleander aphids?A clear, practical guide to recognizing oleander aphids, telling real damage from sooty mold, deciding when to act, and knowing when to call a professional.AphidsWhat are milkweed aphids?Milkweed aphids are small, soft-bodied sap-sucking insects about 1/10 inch long that cluster on the tender tips and young buds of milkweed.AphidsWhat are root aphids?Root aphids are tiny sap-sucking insects, 1 to 2.5 mm long, that live underground feeding on plant roots. Here is how to spot them.AphidsThrips vs aphids: how can you tell the damage apart?Aphid damage is wet and sticky from honeydew. Thrips damage is dry and silvery, with tiny black specks. Here is how to tell them apart.AphidsWhat are little green bugs on roses?Little green bugs on roses are usually aphids clustered on stems and leaves. They may also be rose leafhoppers or rose sawfly larvae.AphidsWhat are little green bugs on lettuce?Learn what little green bugs on lettuce are, how to identify them by their movement and damage, and how to safely handle garden pests on leafy greens.AphidsWhat are orange bugs on a citrus tree?Learn what orange bugs on a citrus tree mean, how to identify them, and what practical steps to take next.AphidsWhat are little white bugs on strawberries?Little white bugs on strawberries may be whiteflies, spider mites, cyclamen mites, aphids, thrips, mealybugs or scale crawlers.AphidsWhy are ants tending aphids on a plant?Discover why ants farm aphids on your plants, how to identify the relationship, and what steps to take safely.AphidsHow do you identify aphids on new plant growth?Learn how to accurately identify aphids on new plant growth by looking for physical cues, secondary damage, and common warning signs.AphidsBlack aphids vs green aphids: does color change the response?Learn why aphid color does not change management strategies and how to identify and control these common garden pests.AphidsWhat are woolly aphids on ornamental plants?Learn what woolly aphids are, how to identify them on ornamental plants, and what practical steps you can take to manage infestations safely.AphidsHow do aphids affect rose buds?Learn how aphids affect rose buds, identify an infestation early, and choose the right management approach for your garden.AphidsWhen do aphids on roses need active control?Learn when aphids on roses require active control, how to identify them, and the practical steps to manage them safely.AphidsHow do you decide whether aphids on a plant need treatment?Learn how to decide whether aphids on your garden plants actually require treatment or if nature will handle them.AphidsWhen can beneficial insects reduce a garden pest problem?Learn when beneficial insects can control garden pests, how to identify helpful activity, and when professional intervention is required.AphidsWhat should you check before spraying a flowering plant?Learn what critical factors to check before spraying any flowering plant, including pollinator safety, label laws, weather limits, and pest identification.AphidsWhy do ants appear around aphid-covered plants?Learn why ants gather around aphid-covered plants, how to properly identify the pests, and what practical steps you can take to manage them.
Research sources
This page was researched with publications from these institutions, then written and reviewed by The Pest Guide Team:
- Cornell University
- Virginia Cooperative Extension
- University of Florida IFAS Extension
- Plant Healthy (UK)
- New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries