1/16” to 1/8” long, pear-shaped, soft-bodied insects that use needle-like mouthparts to feed on plant phloem. Yellow, red, brown, black, gray, or green in color. Gather on new tender growth including unopened flower buds, young leaves, and developing stems.

Presence of honeydew, a sticky, shiny waste secretion on leaf surfaces where aphids are feeding, usually accompanied by twisted and curled leaves and disfigured young growth.

Aphids are generally more of a cosmetic issue than a plant health concern. Spraying off plants with a strong stream of water to remove aphids and wash off honeydew is usually sufficient. New growth tips or blooms can also be removed to significantly reduce populations. For severe infections, judicious application of insecticidal soap or horticultural oil can help, but is rarely necessary.

Salix (Willow), Sedum (Stonecrop), Brunnera (Siberian Bugloss), Heliopsis (False Sunflower), Asclepias (Milkweed)

A small arachnid pest that uses piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on plant phloem on the undersides of leaves. Spider mites are at their most active in especially hot (over 90F) and dry conditions, able to cause extensive damage, especially when plants are stressed (e.g., drought). Spider mites colonize the undersides of leaves and produce webbing along the leaf surface where they nest and feed.

Very small, slender, yellow-orange pests present in large numbers, often alongside very fine webbing on the undersides of leaves. Feeding causes white or yellow mottling on leaves, and eventually yellowing leaves and leaf drop. 

Avoiding stress is one of the best ways to help manage spider mites, especially through consistent watering in times of drought. If infestations begin to impact plant health and vigor, targeted applications of insecticidal soap or horticultural oil can help to manage populations. 

Hemerocallis (Daylily), Penstemon (Beardtongue), Salvia (Meadow Sage), Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower), Weigela

An invasive species of beetle in the United States, 1/3” to 1/2” long with a metallic green head and thorax and metallic copper-brown wing covers. Feeds on the leaves, flowers, and fruit of over 300 plant species. Population numbers fluctuate from year to year, with beetles feeding for six to eight weeks beginning in mid to late June. Adults can fly up to several miles between feedings and are most actively feeding in July and August. Damaged leaves emit feeding-induced odors which attract other beetles, as do their potent pheromones, often resulting in large clusters of beetles on some plants while neighboring plants are only lightly infested.

Skeletonized leaves with intact veins, holes in flower petals, stunted plant growth, clusters of brown, dry patches on leaves.

A cup of warm soapy water can be used to drop large populations of beetles in by hand, holding the cup just under the beetles as they will drop down before flying, or colonies can sometimes be dispersed with a strong stream of water. Particularly high value or tender plants may need to be covered in netting to prevent extensive damage. Beetle pheromone traps are not recommended.

Rosa (Rose), Hibiscus (Hardy Hibiscus), Alcea (Hollyhock), Hydrangea, Malus (Apple/Crabapple)