jescholler
Well-Known Member
Can someone name the pest on my hops. They look like aphids to me, but this is my 1st year, so I'm not sure. Note the leaves are brittle and curled up in the last photos.
Either of Bayer/Ortho will work just fine if you follow the directions on the label, and don't spray on a sunny afternoon. The soap will dissolve lots of the leaf's cuticle (waxy covering) and bright sun can damage the leaves for a few hours until the cuticle reforms. No need for permethrins when dealing with aphids around the house.
On a side note, those appear to be "Foxglove" aphids (Aulacorthum solani). Light body color and dark leg joints are a good visual clue. These are a species of aphids that cause more "distortion" than most. Still not a major issue, just makes the plant look funny. Just thought you might like to know why your plants look the way they do.
I would be suprised if they decided that the cones were tasty.
Aphids are terrible for hops It is a really big deal I fight them w benificial insects.Lady bugs,wasps,lace wings,preying mantis.It is important to get the timing right.Cool damp weather brings them out
The insecticidal soap and spraying with water is working OK, but they keep coming back in small numbers within about a day. I think I'm going to try ladybugs in addition. Do you introduce ladybugs to your crop, or to you attract them naturally somehow? Any tips on using ladybugs would be much appreciated.
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