Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
What Types of Bugs or Insects Eat Flowers?
What Types of Bugs or Insects Eat Flowers?. Some insects that prey on flowers prefer hot, dry conditions, while others like cold, wet conditions. But all are scavengers by nature and are attracted to unhealthy plant material, such as diseased or decaying fruit and leaves. Nevertheless, only a small percentage of garden insects -- about 3 percent --...
Some insects that prey on flowers prefer hot, dry conditions, while others like cold, wet conditions. But all are scavengers by nature and are attracted to unhealthy plant material, such as diseased or decaying fruit and leaves. Nevertheless, only a small percentage of garden insects -- about 3 percent -- cause damage to plants and a smaller percentage still eat flowers. So before you spray every bug in sight with pesticide, you should identify those that cause the most damage.
Aphids
Aphids (Hemiptera order) are tiny, soft-bodied insects of various colors up to 1/8 inch in length. Aphids thrive in warm, moist conditions and prey on flowers, preferring those yellow in color. A problem with aphid infestation may go hand in hand with the presence of ants, which harvest the honeydew -- a clear, sticky liquid excreted by aphids -- and carry the insects about from plant to plant. Annual herbs cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) and dill (Anethum graveolens) repel aphids, as does fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9. Annual nasturtiums (Tropaeolum spp.) and marigolds (Tagetes spp.) also repel these insects.
Thrips
Thrips (Thysanoptera order) are even smaller than aphids, about 1/25 inch in length, and therefore are difficult to see without a magnifying glass. Despite their tiny size, thrips can be hugely destructive to flowers. They are black or straw-colored and, like aphids, show a marked preference for pale colored flowers, such as white or yellow. Thrip damage to maturing flowers, flower buds and other plant tissue is characterized by dry, pale or dark spots, caused by the insects sucking nutrients from the plant.
Other Pests
The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) causes major damage to flowers and flower buds of many ornamental plants. About 3/8 inch in length, it has a dark, metallic green head and dark, metallic tan wing cases. The tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolaris), a mottled brown insect 1/4 inch in length, and the fourlined plant bug (Poecilocapsus lineatus), a bit larger and identified by four black stripes on its back, cause similar problems. Early flowering plants are particularly susceptible to attack. The European earwig (Forficula auricularia) is normally considered beneficial to flower gardens, because it feeds on harmful insects and their eggs. If abnormal weather conditions cause the earwig population to explode, earwigs can damage flower blossoms just as much as more obvious pests.
