Have you ever wondered why some plants act like they want to eat ladybugs? Have you ever heard of Aphids and what they can cause for your garden? What about other garden pest like caterpillars and spiders? Why do plants attack these pests? These are just some of the questions that may arise in our mind when we hear or read about different types of insects. In this article, we are going to discuss about the relationship between plants and aphids.
The relationship between plants and aphids is quite interesting. Aphids are actually plant mites. They are small insects that belong to the Lepismatidae family. They are mostly found on plant stems, leaves and flowers.
As what most people think, aphids get attracted to a plant because it contains protein. They also like a plant with a strong defense mechanism against moisture and germs. Plants like corn and bean are aphid-attracting. If we are going to compare the protein content of plants, we will see that bean plants contain more protein and they are also protected by the natural predators in the plant family.
Ladybugs, on the other hand, prefer plants that have an opposite trait from aphids. They do not usually feed on the plant’s leaves but rather suck the plant juices. Unlike the aphids, ladybugs need to find a place where there are a lot of moisture and a lot of food for them to survive. They are more attracted to plants that contain sticky juices that they can easily consume. They tend to stay away from those plants which are not plant pests.
Now, let us move on to the explanation about the foods that are not good for the aphids. You will notice that if a ladybug is eating a plant and she has to drink around a gallon of water, this means that she has to drink plenty of water! The aphids cannot survive without water. If you try to feed them with something that is too wet, the nutrients will just be washed away with the water. The best thing to do is to use a plant that does not need much water. Examples of this type of plants are liars, jicama, aloe vera, anthurium, basil, marigolds, peppermint, and others.
Carnivores eat meat. They have their own unique diet and they will find out what is best for them to eat. For example, carnivores will go after carrion, birds, mammals, insects and more. Carnivores need a stable diet because their lives are usually very short and they have to hunt and kill their way through plants and animals to survive.
Vegetarians, on the other hand, don’t necessarily think that they can get aphids to eat their vegetables! When a vegetarian eats meat, their digestive system is just as strong as a carnivore’s. A lot of the nutrients from the meat are extracted by the digestive enzymes. This means that the vegetables can still be poisonous to the aphids if they are in large enough amounts. Vegetarians also do not have to worry about the nutrients going to waste when they’re not getting their required vitamins and minerals.
So can carnivorous plants and aphids coexist? Only in the most extreme cases. If a plant can absorb enough nutrients from the aphids and if the aphids are not aggressive enough to eat the plant, it probably can. If you notice that your plants or some of your plants are dying or falling over, it could be a sign that the aphids have already decimated your garden.
It’s best to plant plants that have hardier stem systems. That way, if a plant needs to recover quickly from a particular food source, it will have more time to recover and produce more leaf. For example, a plant that grows quickly because it has an abundance of nutrition from eating the ladybug food will have a hardier stem to recover from. If you plant something like this in your yard, it will be able to survive and thrive, even with only a few ladybugs eating its food.
Of course, there are many other reasons why some plants are better than others for avoiding predation on them by aphids. Don’t forget to check out my other articles about choosing between plants that will attract different types of insects. Carnivorous plants can be especially effective in attracting insects like ladybirds and dragonflies. If you’re looking for a way to keep aphid numbers under control in your garden, consider using carnivorous plants and attracting other beneficial insects along with them.
Why do carnivorous plants eat ladybugs? If you put one together logically, it makes sense. The plant derives its nourishment from the insect that is eating it, so in order to survive it must eat that insect. It’s kind of like a plant that has an army and everyone else is fighting off the army of the plant.