Are Aphids Harmful To Humans?

If you find that you have an infestation of aphids, whether in the home or out in the garden, then you will know how annoying it can be. These pests can take over a plant and become a nuisance, especially when they are flying around the house.

Whilst you might want to throw the plant out of the window in fear that the aphids might be harmful to you and your family fear not, they are actually completely harmless.

So, without further ado, let us take a look at what aphids are, why they attack plants, and how to get rid of them naturally.

What Does An Aphid Look Like?

If you are unsure what an aphid even is, then perhaps you have never had a problem with them. But, if you have noticed something odd on a house plant or little flies buzzing about the room, then it most definitely could be aphids who have set up home on your houseplant.

Unfortunately, aphids come in a range of colors, so distinguishing them from fruit flies, for example, can be difficult for some.

However, fruit flies are brown and tend to fly and be difficult to catch. The aphids that fly are black and much slower, making them easier to squish.

Depending on the type of plant, the aphids could be green, black, white, or even brown, amongst other colors. They tend to be a little round and in clusters, but the flies tend to be more separated.

The ones with wings are less common, but not rare, so do look out for aphids with wings flying around the home and crawling around plants.

They can be super annoying, and trickier to remove, but there are a number of ways to do so which we have outlined at the bottom of the article.

What Is An Aphid?

Aphids are teeny tiny bugs that love to eat plants. They are quite common both in the garden as well as the home, and it does not mean that there is anything wrong with the plant in the first place – just that they love to feed off the luscious greenery.

When it comes to houseplants they can cause a big issue, and even begin to affect the other plants around them.

Due to the fact they have no natural predators such as ants to attack them, they can stay safe and multiply in the comfort of your home.

Why Do Aphids Attack Plants?

Aphids really enjoy plants, and houseplants create the perfect conditions for them due to not having any fear of being attacked, and the fact the plant is readily available for them to snack on.

Plus, people usually have more than one plant, so they might have a few to munch away on.

They suck out the sap of flowers, buds, and leaves. Typically they stay in a cluster and feed together, taking in any new growths and flower buds. This can cause the plant to wilt, deform its leaves and make the flower buds drop prematurely.

Whilst this does sound rather dramatic, it would actually take aphids a long time to completely destroy a plant. This means that if you do have an issue with aphids, you have plenty of time to get rid of them.

How Do They Reach Indoor Plants?

You might be wondering how aphids actually reach the indoor plant in the first place. There are a number of reasons how, and most of the time, you probably will not even notice when they arrive.

Also, it is likely you will never know how the infestation started. It is only when you see the aphids on the plant that you realize that there is an issue.

Such as if you bought a houseplant, and it looked fine at the store, yet after a couple of weeks of having it at home you notice little tiny bugs crawling over the stem and leaves.

Did it happen at the store, or in your home? It can be difficult to tell, however, bringing an infected plant home does happen, and this can cause your other plants to become infested with aphids too.

Other reasons include flowers, herbs, or food that was grown in the garden that may have had aphids on being brought into the home. Aphids may even come in through windows during the summer months.

If you took a plant outside for the summer and then brought it back inside the home over winter, it may be suffering from an aphid infestation. Sadly, there really are so many causes, so with aphids, it is always best to just treat the issue.

The Lifecycle Of An Aphid

Aphids multiply really quickly, and this is due to their really short life of about a week.

During this time, an egg hatches, and they become an adult within days, being able to produce live nymphs or eggs within just a short period of time.

It is quite scary when you think about it, especially if you are trying to get rid of them and all you can see are more and more aphids.

Unfortunately, you cannot see the aphid eggs due to them being really small. Some people mistake the exoskeletons of aphids as eggs due to them being tiny white specks.

They are actually the sheds of skin from when the nymphs molt. They do this around 4 times before becoming adults, so you can imagine that there is quite a lot of this on the plant.

One of the first things you see might actually be the tiny white specs. When this happens, you may then notice adult aphids appear within a day or two.

So Are Aphids Harmful To Humans?

No, aphids are not harmful to humans at all. If you were to accidentally consume one or two which were hidden in food, it would have no effect on your body, just perhaps the taste of the food might be different.

If you do have an infestation in the home and the aphids are the flying type, then always check leafy greens just in case they have made a home under the leaves.

Putting your greenery in saltwater should do the trick of removing any that you find, or just as a precaution.

You can do this by adding a tablespoon of salt into half a cup of hot water. Add this saltwater to some cold water in a bowl. Place the leafy greens into the bowl and allow them to soak for around 30 minutes.

The saltwater removes any sticky residue left behind by aphids, as well as the aphids themselves. Water alone cannot do this job, and using dish soap to kill the aphids is not a good idea on food items.

How To Get Rid Of Aphids In The Home

If you do have an infestation of aphids, then you will want to know how to get rid of them without putting anything toxic onto the plant or in the house just generally.

Also, because aphids may migrate on to other plants if the original attacked plant becomes overcrowded, it is always best to try to move aphids as soon as you notice them.

This is because they can move on to your other plants super quickly.

Luckily, it is not difficult to make up your own remedies for removing aphids. The thing to remember is that it may take a few weeks before you start seeing results, so consistency is key. Here are some tried and tested methods:

Warm Water And Dish Soap

One of the most common ways to safely remove aphids is by using plain water and dish soap. To create, add a few drops of dish soap to tepid water and gently mix inside a spray bottle.

Whether in the sink or a bathtub or even wherever your plant lives, spray the leaves and the stem of the houseplant with the mixture. Make sure you direct a strong stream to the plant, so the aphids fall away from where they are.

You then may have to remove the aphids, otherwise, they will just decompose on the plant’s soil.

Neem Oil

Using neem oil is another common way to remove aphids safely off a plant. The concentrated mix will need to be added to water and dish soap to make sure it works at its most optimum without hurting the plant in the process.

In the same fashion as using dish soap, spray it onto the leaves and stem to remove the aphids. This can also be used to prevent aphids from attacking the plant or returning.

Before you try the dish soap or neem oil method, always remember to test the mixture on a leaf first just in case the plant does not take well to it. You do not want to destroy the plant in the process of removing aphids.

Use Fly Tape

If you have aphids that fly, then the above methods may not be as effective, but can still work to a degree. This is because some of the aphids will be on the plant, however, many will be flying around the home which cannot be sprayed with dish soap.

Putting a sticky trap by the plant should attract and kill the aphids. It does not look very nice, but it is very effective.

Prevent Aphids From Attacking Your Plants

If you own a lot of houseplants, then an attack of aphids can become a nightmare.

It can take quite a while to remove them completely, though it can be done with persistence. Even so, here are a few ways to prevent aphids from taking over your plants:

Use neem oil as a way to repel aphids. It is a great option to use if the plant has recently been infested, and you do not want them to return.

If you bring a plant inside the home from outdoors, always check for aphids and remove what you can.

When you buy a new houseplant, keep it alone for several days. This way you can be sure it does or does not have aphids without them attacking your other houseplants.

Always check each houseplant for aphids on a regular basis. They can turn up when you least expect it.

Final Words

Aphids are not harmful to humans, however, they can destroy houseplants. Getting rid of aphids from the first moment you notice them is the best way to keep the infestation under control.

There are many natural remedies that will get rid of them completely if you stay consistent and persist with the job at hand.

Despite the annoyance of them, at least if you accidentally munch on a couple that is hiding in food, it will only taste bitter rather than make you ill – and that is good to know, right?