Aphids

Blackfly and greenfly are sap-sucking insects also called aphids that, if populations grow too big, can inhibit growth, cause distortion and even kill your crop. But, if you have a balanced garden ecosystem with lots of wildlife, their populations will never grow too big. You’ll be able to grow food in harmony with aphids, which will be able to complete their lifecycles without causing any harm to your crop.

Aphids are picked off plants by house sparrows, who feed them to their chicks. They’re also eaten by the adults and larvae of ladybirds, as well as the larvae of hoverflies and lacewings. It's worth remembering that aphids are at the bottom of the food chain and that lots of other species like eating them. By creating more habitats for their predators, we can ensure numbers of these species never become too big, and aphids will never be pests, to you.