Aphids and ‘alligators’ seen on garden plants
By Walter Reeves, For the AJC Troy Warren for CNT Q: I’m a new gardener and my pea plant stems are absolutely covered with small, dark gray creatures. Louise Lubben, Fulton County A: In May/June each year, aphid populations can explode on susceptible plants like peas, onions and peppers. They weaken plants by sucking the sap from stems and leaves. Look closely and you might spot ants feeding on the undigested honeydew from aphids. You might also see orange and black “alligators” (larval ladybugs) feeding on unlucky aphids. Since we don’t want to hurt beneficial insects, the easiest solution for aphids is to…