Bugs covering new growth on native honeysuckle? - Ask Extension
I just noticed the new growth on my native honeysuckle is curling up, and on closer inspection there are tiny green bugs feasting on the new buds. The...
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Bugs covering new growth on native honeysuckle? #901516
Asked May 14, 2025, 4:32 PM EDT
I just noticed the new growth on my native honeysuckle is curling up, and on closer inspection there are tiny green bugs feasting on the new buds. They don't seem to fly, at least at this stage. They are the size of fleas. Is there a way to control them/get rid of them that won't harm pollinators nearby?
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
Those are soft-bodied sucking insects called Aphids.
They are very common and show up early in our landscapes, and their numbers can rise quickly.
Unbelievably, all of the early ones tend to be female, don't need males to reproduce, and can give live birth to offspring already pregnant with the next generation!
That said, they are not a worrisome pest and are food for multiple beneficial insects and birds.
You can blast them off with plain water from a garden hose, trim off those tips (which would delay blooming), or ignore them and let beneficial predators like ladybird beetle (ladybugs) eat them.
Take a look at the video on our page here and learn more about them:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/aphids-flowers/
Christine
They are very common and show up early in our landscapes, and their numbers can rise quickly.
Unbelievably, all of the early ones tend to be female, don't need males to reproduce, and can give live birth to offspring already pregnant with the next generation!
That said, they are not a worrisome pest and are food for multiple beneficial insects and birds.
You can blast them off with plain water from a garden hose, trim off those tips (which would delay blooming), or ignore them and let beneficial predators like ladybird beetle (ladybugs) eat them.
Take a look at the video on our page here and learn more about them:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/aphids-flowers/
Christine
