WRITEOUT 22
WriteOut 10.07.22 Daily Walk Digital Journal
[see on Flickr]
They’re out– wherever we walk we’re swatting away the clouds of gnats that hover together in swarms. What they are — aphids: smoky-winged ash aphids or also called blue ash aphids. Yesterday, a few. Today, thousands and thousands.
Do see the white dots in the picture? That’s not my camera– those are thousands of aphids.
The females live in conifer trees all summer long, but in autumn their moving out to lay eggs in ash trees. These little flying bugs may already have died– their eggs will survive the winter, but they will not.
Yes, the nightmare of aphids will probably be gone around Halloween!
About smoky-winged ash aphids:
- Washington State University: Nightmare on Aphid Street
- KREM: white bugs return
Fascinating .. it does look like a filter effect on the image. I bet some birds and other critters are having a grand time, feasting on the aphids. (or is that not right? I don’t even know what eats them)
Kevin
Hi Kevin, I wrote today’s post to answer your question– the eggs are eaten by birds, but the aphids are too fuzzy to attract any predators. But, they only lay their eggs and soon die. Such is the life of an insect.
Daily Journal 10.08.22