Cabbage Aphid

Cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (L.), and the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), are found on cole crops worldwide.

The cabbage aphid feeds only on plants in the Cruciferae family (cole crops, mustard, etc.), with serious outbreaks occurring only sporadically. The green peach aphid feeds on over 300 species of plants and does not cause serious damage on cole crops.

Cabbage aphids are approximately 1/16 inch (2 mm) long, greenish-white in color, and covered with a grayish wax which gives them an ashen appearance. Adult cabbage aphids may be winged or wingless. Winged adults are gray-green with a black body and lack the waxy coating.

Egg: The black eggs are very minute (less than 1 mm). In the northeast, cabbage aphids overwinter in the egg stage which is laid in the crop residue. Nymphs: The nymphs are pear shaped and greenish-white in color and later develop gray waxy bloom

Life Cycle : Cabbage aphids are grayish-green with a waxy covering that gives them a grayish-white appearance. Cabbage aphids have short cornicles (tube-like structures at the tip of the abdomen) and feed on the underside of leaves in large clusters, in the center of cabbage heads, or on the youngest leaves.

Adults are present in both wingless and winged form. However, wingless females producing live young (nymphs), are the most common. Because of their rapid development time (8-12 days from first-instar nymph to adult), asexual reproduction (males not needed), and extended reproductive life-span (30+ days at 5-6 nymphs/day).

Cabbage aphids complete up to 15 generations (often overlapping) during the growing season . Cabbage aphids overwinters as black eggs in host plant debris near the soil surface.

Damage :Cabbage aphids begin appearing in mid-June, and populations may build up rapidly. They prefer young leaves, flowering plants parts, and the underside of cap leaves. Aphids will suck the sap from the plant leaf and heavy populations can cause leaves to cup, yellow, and curl. Plants with severe infestations will often wilt, become stunted, form small, light heads, or may even die. Large infestations can also kill seedlings and young transplants. Cabbage aphids are difficult to remove before processing or marketing and may also be a contaminate problem.

Several species attack various crops, sucking plant sap. Causing stunting, and leaf curling. Leaving honeydew deposits .

Management: Cultural practices and biological control agents can reduce aphid infestations and delay or prevent the need for pesticide use. Try to delay using insecticides for as long as possible while maintaining yields and quality. Most fields require at least one application against aphids at preheading;

however, if you can delay applications until just before head formation, you will save the expense of additional applications and may also be able to maintain the natural enemies that will keep caterpillar pests, including loopers, imported cabbageworms, armyworms, and diamondback moths, below economically damaging levels.

If you ever have any bug related questions feel free to call us either at Beyond Pest Control. Once again, and I can’t stress this enough we are on call twenty four hours a day seven days a week to kill those bugs, we aren’t kidding whether you call us at 9 am or midnight we will be available to take your call and either get rid of the bug infestation, or answer any questions you may have concerning the bug issue. I can honestly guarantee that there will be someone to answer that call. We make it our business to make you bug free!

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