Bugs on lupins

Hi everyone,

I have a lupin with loads of fat green/grey bugs on it. What are these? Are they doing any harm?

I've got some other lupins further along in the border but they haven't got them yet - and I'd like to keep it that way!

 

Aphids?

Are ants farming them?

 

I have found Aphids on my Honeysuckle tonight, I checked the underside of three leaves and found 8 Adults and loads of baby ones.

I didn't see any last year, so let battle commence!!

I was thinking of a biological approach, as in Ladybirds and their Larvae, has anyone tried these and do they work?

 

I put a ladybird on a flower covered in aphids, it knew the ants were farming them and just picked them off one by one, hiding at the end of the flower inbetween.

It had stripped the lot in a few hours

 

I get aphids too.. huge things. Just make sure the sun's not shining if you spray it. I ballsed up my rose by doing that.

I'd love to get some ladybirds, I don't see them all that often the last few years

 

Wren1 if you don't kill the aphids they will destroy your Lupin flowers very quickly.

 

That sounds good re the Ladybirds, I can live with a few hours as it would take me forever to try and squish them.

I was thinking of these Buy Adult ladybirds and ladybird larvae to release in your garden. Ladybirds are aphid predators, so by releasing ladybirds you can tackle your pest problems such as aphids and boost the numbers of our native ladybirds.

They're not cheap, but I think they will do a good job, though I might wait until the weather warms a bit.

 

They are lupin aphids wren ...first saw these a few years back.
Spray with an insecticide or soft soap solution or try rubbing them out. You need to spray before they flower so asap.
Touch wood, I have been lucky enough not to be affected over recent years by these aphids but I check regularly.......I would spray immediately if I saw them.

 

Yes, they are exactly like these: aphids - Google Search:

There are no ants. I have had a couple of ladybirds in my garden recently. If I see one again I will be sure to put it on there!

What sort of spray should I use? What's a soft soap solution? I have a spray for spider mites and other pests that I used last year but it just made everything sticky. I did have a go at squishing the bugs earlier and got some but there were so many!

 

Washing up liquid diluted in water is good for destroying aphids.

 

Oi, you'm in the EU now Sheal, can't do that here

 

Well you'll never guess what. I've just nipped out into the garden to spray a washing up liquid solution (with my torch). The gate shut behind me and I got locked out! Neighbour happened to come home 20 minutes later and rescue me!

 

I hate it when that happens

 

Oh blimey! I didn't realise that @Zigs, thanks. I presume they haven't banned breathing yet?