Comments on: Green Aphids http://somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com/2009/09/27/green-aphids/ A Field Guide to the North Side of Old Mill Hill, Atlantic Mine, MI Thu, 17 May 2012 13:43:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: K T Cat http://somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com/2009/09/27/green-aphids/comment-page-1/#comment-1595 K T Cat Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:09:48 +0000 http://somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com/?p=1088#comment-1595 They might make a great ice cream topping! They might make a great ice cream topping!

]]> By: Tim Eisele http://somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com/2009/09/27/green-aphids/comment-page-1/#comment-1590 Tim Eisele Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:05:52 +0000 http://somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com/?p=1088#comment-1590 Some aphids can survive indoors year-round, particularly certain species that have adapted to greenhouses. It sounds like the aphids go into overwintering mode when the summer host plant starts preparing to go dormant, which isn't going to happen in houseplants. The best bet is just to go through periodically and either squash or wash off the aphids. And yes, they are pretty much pure food. If you think of them as cattle domesticated by ants, that isn't too far off, at least for a lot of species. It might be amusing to breed a plant that can tolerate large aphid populations, and an aphid big enough to make a noticeable snack for a person, and start raising aphids for food. Some aphids can survive indoors year-round, particularly certain species that have adapted to greenhouses. It sounds like the aphids go into overwintering mode when the summer host plant starts preparing to go dormant, which isn’t going to happen in houseplants. The best bet is just to go through periodically and either squash or wash off the aphids.

And yes, they are pretty much pure food. If you think of them as cattle domesticated by ants, that isn’t too far off, at least for a lot of species. It might be amusing to breed a plant that can tolerate large aphid populations, and an aphid big enough to make a noticeable snack for a person, and start raising aphids for food.

]]> By: K T Cat http://somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com/2009/09/27/green-aphids/comment-page-1/#comment-1588 K T Cat Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:34:22 +0000 http://somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com/?p=1088#comment-1588 From a predator's point of view, these things look like pure food. A big, bulbous body, probably loaded with easily digestible sugars and proteins and almost no unwanted body parts. I love the bit about the reproduction rate. Way cool. A link is on the way. From a predator’s point of view, these things look like pure food. A big, bulbous body, probably loaded with easily digestible sugars and proteins and almost no unwanted body parts.

I love the bit about the reproduction rate. Way cool. A link is on the way.

]]> By: Sandra H http://somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com/2009/09/27/green-aphids/comment-page-1/#comment-1587 Sandra H Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:11:12 +0000 http://somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com/?p=1088#comment-1587 Can these things survive the winter indoor? Am I doomed once I get them inside? Can these things survive the winter indoor? Am I doomed once I get them inside?

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