Now that might sound crazy, but lets talk about Aphids for a minuet. It’s really important to leave the Aphids alone when they get on your plants. Why you ask? It’s best to just leave them alone because , well, think of it this way, when you wipe/squish them, or spray them off, or use soapy water to kill them, your not inviting Ladybugs, hover flies, Chalcid wasps, and lacewings to the buffet. Their larvae eat the aphids, and the adult ladybug also eats them.
Also, if you're spraying with soapy water, you cannot rinse the plant off enough to rid the soap residue. Then, when the caterpillars eat the leaves, it makes them sick & die. It is truly better to just let Mother Nature tend to her eco system.
This Chalcid wasps is laying eggs inside these Aphids. Did you notice the huge puffy brown one near by. That one is already full of Chalcid wasps larvae. Good food for her babies.
These wasp are tiny! Like half the size of mosquitoes. But they are VERY effective at their job. They help keep other pest in check. Which in turn, keeps your plants healthy, and if they're on butterfly host plants, then they could possibly even be helping to keep your caterpillars healthy too.
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