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| Water Lily aphid |
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Colonies of greenish-brown water lily aphids can form on the upper surfaces of water lily leaves and various pond margin plants.
Control with pesticides is difficult as these cannot be used on plants growing in or adjacent to ponds, meaning prevention is the best cure.
To do this, knowledge of the aphids life cycle is an advantage.
The aphids overwinter as eggs on Prunus species, such as blackthorn, cherries, and plums.
The eggs hatch in spring, and the aphids feed on the new host plants foliage until early summer when winged forms of the aphid develop.
Prudent spraying at this time with a suitable insecticide can help to reduce the numbers transferring to the waterside plants.
For those aphids that survive and migrate to the waterside, control is limited.
In small ponds, aphids can be wiped off the leaves and flower buds.
In larger ponds, directing a strong jet of water at the plants foliage will dislodge many of the aphids and expose them to predation by fish.
In autumn, the winged aphids migrate back to their winter host plants.
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