Are these aphids? What do I do? :(

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

I woke up this morning terrified to see a large very very large amount of tiny little black aphid looking bugs on one of my favorite plants. Let me describe these creatures a bit more... they are stationary on the plant but every second or less they will move like a twitch. So all together it looks like they are doing the wave. Incredibly difficult to explain the habit of these aphid looking bugs.. I'm hoping someone knows what I'm talking about. I noticed a little gnat looking thing that seems to have been "tending" to the aphids.. this bug had wings and moved quickly about from one aphid to the next.

Are these dangerous for my plant? What would be the best way to rid of these scary looking bugs? This is one of my favorite plants and I want it to thrive (which it has been so far) rather then suffer from leeches.

Here are photos.. even though they are tiny!

[img]https://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt261/NySnap/Plants/Plant%20Issues/DSCN3395.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt261/NySnap/Plants/Plant%20Issues/DSCN3394.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt261/NySnap/Plants/Plant%20Issues/DSCN3393.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt261/NySnap/Plants/Plant%20Issues/DSCN3376.jpg[/img]

[rainbowgardener]

We'll assume that the aphid-y looking insects are in fact aphids, until someone comes along and says different, although I have never seen the motion you describe. Mostly aphids in my yard just sit there sucking plant juice.

If they are aphids then they are very easy to control. Just take a Kleenex or something (to protect your hands from gooshy aphid guts) and go along the stem and squish them. If they are aphids, they will sit there and let you do it.

I have a couple things in my garden that get covered in aphids every spring. I just squish as many as I can get, checking undersides of leaves, not worrying if it is 100%. They don't come back after that, until next year.

[BewilderedGreenyO.o]

haha do you perhaps have a solution for the squeamish? I literally fear and am grossed out by any form of insect .. makes me wonder how I ever manage to maintain a garden! So squishing is outta the question.. I'm wondering if perhaps hosing them off onto the ground and then spraying them with soap would kill them dead enough so that I can then hose them off into a none used dirt area? haha! I know I know its pitiful

[rainbowgardener]

I used to be more like that. Years of gardening helped me get over it. Yes you can just knock the aphids off with a strong water spray or you can spray them with a soapy water solution. If you use a soap solution (real soap, not detergent) you can just spray them while they are still on the plant.

But keep working on desensitizing yourself a little bit at a time. Nature is full of bugs! The most common life form on the planet is insects. You can't get away from them, your house is full of them, your body is full of them. Did you know you have teeny little mites living in your eyelash follicles?

https://www.worsleyschool.net/science/files/eyelash/creatures.html

So you might as well enjoy your garden! You aren't away from insects anywhere.

[applestar]

-- RBG I'm not sure if that particular information would be of any comfort to the squeamish.... BG might be soaking eyes in soapy water right now....

[rainbowgardener]

I know it's creepy! But makes you feel better about the aphids (I hope). At least you can see them!

The idea is that you might as well hang out in your garden and enjoy it, because it's not like you are going to be away from insects.