Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Tetty137 on October 17, 2020, 13:56

Title: Onion aphids
Post by: Tetty137 on October 17, 2020, 13:56

Hi I am a newby to the site, I have had a bad growing year with anything allium related due to a major infestation of onion aphids, I have found a couple of articles online mainly from Australia, I grow organically and I am looking for suggestions please. I have lost well established chives, newly planted spring onions and garlic, I am at a loss what to try having used neem tea, washing up liquid etc.

Title: Re: Onion aphids
Post by: Yorkie on October 18, 2020, 13:08

Welcome to the site  :)

Are they definitely aphids?  It's difficult to tell from the photos as the insects are very small, but I can't see any wings on them.  Might they be beetles?

I've not seen this sort of insect on onions before; do they wash off when harvested?  Are they actually stunting the plant's growth / damaging the plant or just on it?

Title: Re: Onion aphids
Post by: Tetty137 on October 18, 2020, 18:41

Quote from: Yorkie on October 18, 2020, 13:08

Welcome to the site  :)

Are they definitely aphids?  It's difficult to tell from the photos as the insects are very small, but I can't see any wings on them.  Might they be beetles?

I've not seen this sort of insect on onions before; do they wash off when harvested?  Are they actually stunting the plant's growth / damaging the plant or just on it?

  they are damaging the plants they have actually killed my well established chives that had been in the ground 3 years, i will try and get a better photo, i have 5 tubs of leeks and two of them have been decimated, they are very small beasties, when they got on my onions i thought they were beetles i just don't know!!!

Title: Re: Onion aphids
Post by: Blewit on October 19, 2020, 08:15

Watches with interest. Whatever these things are they wiped out our well established chives last year.

Title: Re: Onion aphids
Post by: Gardener and Rabbit on October 19, 2020, 20:08

I've never seen them before, but some online research does confirm that they've been found in the UK in small numbers, having been first recorded at Wisley in 1999, and are present in mainland Europe too. This article suggests they're repelled by scents such as rosemary, so that may be one organic way to deter them in future.

https://influentialpoints.com/Gallery/Neotoxoptera_formosana_onion_aphid.htm#:~:text=The%20onion%20aphid%20was%20first,cloves%20in%20a%20cold%20frame.

Title: Re: Onion aphids
Post by: Tetty137 on October 20, 2020, 11:02

Quote from: Yorkie on October 18, 2020, 13:08

Welcome to the site  :)

Are they definitely aphids?  It's difficult to tell from the photos as the insects are very small, but I can't see any wings on them.  Might they be beetles?

I've not seen this sort of insect on onions before; do they wash off when harvested?  Are they actually stunting the plant's growth / damaging the plant or just on it?

I have attached more photos I would be grateful for any comments

Title: Re: Onion aphids
Post by: Yorkie on October 23, 2020, 21:58

It does look as though that's what you've got.  :(

This helpsheet contains a bit more info Fact sheet - Onion aphid (276) (http://www.pestnet.org/fact_sheets/onion_aphid_276.htm)