Pest removal

A ladybird makes a meal of aphids in a garden in England, UK. Gardeners preparing for autumn are likely to encounter a surge of ladybirds, thanks to the warm spring and summer temperatures that significantly increased aphid populations – their primary food source.

Photograph: Alamy/PA

#photography
#insects
#ladybird
#aphids

Yesterday, among some big willows down by the lake, I saw an amazing phenomenon: the grass was absolutely swarming with yellowjackets (there was one every few inches), and, when I looked up, I saw the trees were too!

They didn't seem to be coming from any particular point. I wondered if it was their Sex Day or something, but though I looked closely I didn't see any mating or really any interaction with each other at all. And in the trees I also saw other insects—bald-faced hornets, mud daubers, potter wasps, even what looked like mini dragonflies. Watching the wasps on the ground, I noticed they seemed to be…licking?

Then I noticed the dark blue giant willow aphids. Not that many on the ground, and the wasps were ignoring them. But then I looked at low-hanging branches and saw clusters of aphids, and then I felt…tiny drops!

There were so many aphids in the willow trees that they were showering the branches, leaves, and ground with honeydew (sugary excretions), in turn attracting wasps feeding on it!

Anyway that was just a cool little thing to figure out.

#bugstodon #InverteFest #insects #aphids #Hemiptera #Aphididae

Ein starker Befall im Garten ist ärgerlich, doch bewährte Hausmittel gegen Blattläuse bieten eine schonende und wirksame Alternative zur Chemie. Lösungen aus Schmierseife oder Brennnesselsud sind einfach herzustellen und schützen Pflanze und Nützlinge. #aphids #gardeningtips #organicgardening #gartenhausmittel #nützlinge

https://bit.ly/3I6VFtD

Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera)

#Orchid #Aphids #ArtWithOpenSource #Darktable #CCBYSA #BloomScrolling #Florespondence #Orchids #Flower #Flowers #FlowersOfMastodon #Plant #Plants #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photo #Photography

Argentine Ant (Linepithema humile) and Aphids

#Ant #Hymenoptera #Aphids #Hemiptera #ArtWithOpenSource #Darktable #CCBYSA #Ants #Bugs #Insect #Insects #InsectPhotography #Animal #Animals #Wildlife #WildlifePhotography #Nature #NaturePhotography #Photo #Photography

Behold our hairy posteriors. I fart in your general direction.

Beech Blight Aphids in full bloom.

#Garden #Pests #Aphids