Something is destroying my Astilbe buds..aphids?

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Noreaster Maine, United States(Zone 5b) Jun 07, 2009

I keep noticing that the flower buds are drying up...I notice very small lime green bugs on them- aphids? If they are aphids, I've read that you should just hose them off...but wouldn't they just crawl right back up? I've also heard about lady bugs...does that actually work? What keeps the lady bugs from going elsewhere? There are probably still 3-4 more weeks before the buds develop into blooms and at this rate, I'm not going to have any unless I can get rid of these bugs. This happens every year, but seems worse this year. I hate the thought of losing all this year's flowers... Please help!

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Jun 07, 2009

Aphids have very soft bodies so if you blast them with the hose that'll usually kill them. But they reproduce at the speed of light, so if you miss one or two and don't stay on top of things the whole infestation will be back before you know it. You can also use something like insecticidal soap to kill them--again you'll have to keep checking every couple of days to make sure you catch any new ones. Ladybugs will also help with the aphids...but there is nothing to keep them from going elsewhere. If you've got enough stuff around for them to eat then they're more likely to stick around though

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Noreaster Maine, United States(Zone 5b) Jun 07, 2009

Thanks, ecrane. I can usually just pick them off with gloved fingers and squash them...there aren't so many that that is hard, but of course I can't be out there all day doing that. Not sure astilbe could hold up to hose "blasting". I think I will go out and get some insecticide soap. I also notice some teeny tiny black flecks on the same astilbe leaves, are those eggs of some kind? It's frustrating to have this problem every year and yet I keep reading that astilbe has "no" significant pests.

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