Expert: C.L. Fornari - 7/10/2006

Question
We live in Milwuakee and have just notice these tiny reddish/tan bugs on the bottom side of the flower. What would you recommend/suggestions?

Answer
Lee,
From your discription I'm not sure I can identify them (too little info) but I'll tell you what I'd do in this sort of situation.  First of all, do you think they could be aphids?  Type "red aphids" into google and then click on "image" and see what comes up - if they look like your insect, then just clip off the flowers that have them on and throw them away - next spray the entire plant with insecticidal soap, spraying at night so that the sun doesn't shine hard on a newly sprayed plant.

If they don't look like aphids, do the same thing - and then monitor the plant and see if that takes care of it.  And by the way, we can't assume that this is a bad bug, even if you see damage on the plant...sometimes the insect you see isn't the one that did the damage.  In anycase, you won't hurt anything by just cutting off the flowers with the bugs and getting rid of them, then using the soap to smother any eggs or remaining insects.

Insects do come and go (it's a jungle out there!) and sometimes what is present in large numbers at one point in the summer is gone in a couple of weeks.

Let me know if this approach doesn't solve the problem.  If the insects keep coming back, and damage keeps occuring, send me a picture of the little devils (clfornari@yahoo.com) and I'll try to identify them for you.

all the best,
C.L.