What Are These Bugs On My Mint?

[Flowers]

Today I found a bunch of leaves on my mint plant that have tiny brown spots all over them. Upon closer inspection, I noticed a billion little green bugs crawling on the stems! I also found one on my parade roses earlier. There were also some little things that I think are baby white flies on both the mint and the roses.

What are these bugs and how do I get rid of them?

[imafan26]

You have aphids. Plant to attract beneficial insects, especially ladybugs and control the ants with ant bait. Most herbs cannot be sprayed and are not listed on the label. You can use oil or insecticidal soap, but test a small patch first. I have never had to

I plant fennel, dill, marigolds, sunflowers, nasturtiums, alyssum, and let most of my plants basil, onions, lavender, verbena, cuphea, keep their blooms.

The fennel is the real workhorse. It traps aphids. So the aphids are all over the fennel and the ladybugs will lay their eggss and the ladybug larvae will feed on the aphids. Fennel stays in bloom a long time and the blooms attract bees, parasitic wasps, tachinid flies, hover flies, and adult ladybugs.

[Flowers]

What do I do if they're inside? These plants are on my windowsill until I can put them out in may

[applestar]

This is my way of dealing with them inside. First posts has descriptions of eliminating them by hand, but I've switched to ladybugs with great results.
Subject: Embrace Your INNER APE –dealing with APHIDS >> got ladybugs

[Flowers]

Neat! I'll definitely try the soapy fingers idea, but I highly doubt my grandmother would allow me to bring any lady bugs into her house. She won't even let me get a dog lol

[imafan26]

In the house you still need to control the ants. You can try the soapy fingers or the cotton swab and physically wiping them off or hosing them off with water. Mint comes back easily. I actually might consider a dunk in a horticultural oil or repotting. If all else failed, I would cut off most of the foliage and keep mostly the roots, wash every thing well and let it grow back. If you have any other plants on the windowsill check them too and clean the windowsill well to make sure the aphids won't be carried back up.

[Flowers]

I haven't noticed any ants.

[pepperhead212]

I tried growing spearmint hydroponically a few times, and, while it grew incredibly fast, every time it got LOADED with aphids, but only on the stems, as you show on yours. I could make them sort of go away, with various organic sprays, but as soon as the stuff dissipated, the aphids were back. Other plants, not prone to them, would get the "spillover", but as soon as I took the mint out each time, the aphids were gone, as well. However, I have found that this does not happen with peppermint! I have never gotten any aphids on peppermint, and it also grow like a weed! Something to think about next time you want to set up some mint to grow indoors.

[imafan26]

Ants usually tend aphids, and once the aphid nymphs settle down they just bite into the plant and don't move. Their legs atrophy and the ants carry them and protect them. Ants usually won't be out in the daytime, when you are around, they prefer the nether hours. Putting some Terro traps on the windowsill won't hurt.

You may have to hose down the mint plants daily and check the rest of the plants on the sill. It is hard to get all of the aphids off at one time and they reproduce rapidly.