Shoutout to the folks who told me to check for pests every single day

Last spring, I had a perfect row of bush beans going in my south-facing balcony pots. I checked them on a Monday and they were fine. By Friday, every single leaf was skeletonized, just lace. I didn't see a single bug the whole time. My friend in Portland said, 'Look for the tiny green dots on the undersides.' I finally did, and there were hundreds of nearly invisible aphid nymphs clustered along every stem. I had to spray them off with a soapy water mix for a solid week to get it under control. The plants survived but the yield was pitiful. Has anyone else had a pest explosion that seemed to happen overnight like that? What did you do?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant7482mo ago

Those aphids must have thrown a rager on your balcony while you were at work. I swear they have tiny calendars and plan their invasions.

abbyl491mo ago

Ladybugs cleared mine out fast.

rivera.keith2mo ago

Honestly grant748, I bet they have tiny little aphid spies that watch when we leave the house. Their party planning is next level.