A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Black Bugs!

I have just noticed that i have tons of little black bugs/aphids? (i always thought them white and very small to see) on my sedums!

what do i do?

ill try to get a picture but they are tiny.

#1)Don't panic. They may well be aphids, there are many kinds. They won't kill anything overnight!
More info would help, though. Do you know which sedum you have? If it has large leaves, try wiping them off with a dish cloth dipped in soap suds.
There are some great recipes for simple sprays made form dish soap, vegetable oil and other things that are VERY effective. Get your hands on a clean squirt bottle, you can get one for a dollar at any discount store for a buck. A squirt of dish soap and a few drops of oil in a few ounces of water is roughly what is called for, but someone else should come along with a sure-fire recipe soon!

Thanks! I'll try not to panic! hehe
Well i have three different kinds in a big pot, only one i know for sure is autumn joy, the others, no clue. None of them have large leaves, so i guess spraying will be my best bet.

One of the plants is having trouble (before the bugs) and is kind of dying off, could that be a source of the problem.

i'll look for some spray recipes, thanks for the tip!

I just found 1 black bug on my croton petra norma. I spray the leaves just about every day with water. So I guess I can try this same thing with the soap/oil and water? I looked over the leaves and so far I only saw the one so hopefully I am catching this early. I also noticed a gnat or that's what I thought it was flying around also. I have number of different house plants all babies still. Schefflera, croton, umbrella plant, song of India, Dracaena janet Craig, english ivy, Sanseviera trifasciata 'Hahnii', sanderiana, golden pothos,and an aloe Vera plant.