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got a plant
there's probably an aphid for that
they're a
nightmare for anyone growing veggies
there are thousands of types with all
kinds of looks
and they seem to pop up overnight
before you know it they're everywhere
they pierce leaves and stems with their
stylet
and suck out sugary sap
leaving the plant yellow and wilted
while they're not particularly fast or
well armored
aphids are highly skilled at one thing
making babies
most of the time they give birth to live
young
instead of laying eggs that's
different from most other insects
ah she's got her mother's eyes
an aphid mom can push out five or six
nymphs a day
sometimes more and she doesn't need to
find a mate
to do it
most of the time aphids just clone
themselves
you can see the eyes of her clones
growing inside her
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and here's the really wild part her
babies are born
already pregnant in a week or two
they'll start giving birth to clones of
their own
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that's why it only takes a single aphid
to infest your greenhouse or garden
when the buffet starts getting crowded
and it looks like their food might run
out
aphids switch gears they produce a
different kind of clone see those
light grey shoulder pads on the one on
the right
they unfurl into wings
yep winged clones called alates
they look different but they're still
genetically identical to their mothers
when they're ready the aylates take to
the air to search
out new plants to colonize
a gathering this big attracts some
hungry party crashers
like this ladybug
so some aphids strike a deal with
ants the ants
treat aphids like dairy cows looking
after them and guarding them from
predators
when these ranchers are thirsty they tap
on the aphids with their antennae
but instead of milk these ant ranchers
are looking for a tall drink of sweet
aphid honeydew that's the sugary
waste that comes out of an aphid's um
backside so is there anything that can
stop
these aggravating endlessly
self-replicating pests
some growers use oils or insecticides
others sick predators on them
like lacewing larvae
or even unleash parasites
like these wasps
the female wasp uses her sharp
ovipositor to inject
an egg into the slow-moving aphids
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when the wasp egg inside hatches the
larva
eats and eats hollowing out its
host and turning it into a little mummy
when it's ready the adult wasp chews its
way out
to start the cycle again
these tiny mummies are a gruesome sight
but they're one that let gardeners
breathe a sigh of relief
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hi deep peeps it's laura did your
charming image of ladybugs just get
shattered
not to worry they still have a softer
side every winter they gather by the
thousands in a big old cuddle puddle
thanks and see you soon