Re: Re: CULT: help - aphid predators?
- To: i*@onelist.com
- Subject: Re: [iris-talk] Re: CULT: help - aphid predators?
- From: D* K*
- Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1999 21:26:17 -0500
From: Dennis Kramb <dkramb@badbear.com>
>From: linda Mann <lmann@mailhub.icx.net>
>
>Thanks all for the suggestions for aphid repellants.
>
>But I am still interested in learning more about aphid ecology and
>predators. Not necessarily as a solution to the current existing
>infestation, but for future plans. Any suggestions?
>
>Linda Mann east Tennessee USA
The only aphid predators active this time of year are daddy long-legs.
Excuse me for not knowing their scientific name (I'm not an entomologist
after all) but I do know that the latin translation for their name means
"aphid sucker".
Interplant your iris beds with a diverse array of other plants to privde a
home for the daddy long-legs. Some companion plants that work well for me
are:
yarrow (Achillea spp.)
columbine (Aquilegia spp.)
bee balm (Monarda spp.) - placed in back of bed
tickseed (Coreopsis spp.)
black eyed susans (Rudbeckia spp.)
mexican hats (Ratibida spp.)
coneflowers (Echinacea spp.)
violas (Viola spp.)
mint (Nepeta spp.) - highly invasive!
pot marigolds (Calendula oficianalis)
- mine were still in bloom until this week!
butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
butterfly bush (Buddleia davdii)
Of course, most of these are not evergreen, but their dead leaves & stems
still provide shelter for the beneficial daddy long-legs.
Earwigs might possibly eat aphids too. They would also be active during
warm winter days, like daddy long-legs. They love to live among leaf
litter & rotting plant material.
Dennis Kramb; dkramb@badbear.com
Cincinnati, Ohio USA; USDA Zone 6; AIS Region 6
http://www.badbear.com/dkramb/home.html
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