Our pets can experience the same annoyance from bugs that we do. Some insects feed off of our furry friends, while others may just sting or bite us as a form of defense. In addition, many creepy crawlies can make dogs and cats seriously ill if they try to eat them as a snack.
Can Aphids Cause Skin Irritation?
There have been a few articles in the garden blogosphere that claim aphids can cause minor skin irritations. But these are very misleading claims.
Because they are unable to damage, pierce, or puncture the skin in any way, aphids cannot irritate it. They would be unable to cut through that type of epidermis with their stylets or harm the skin in any other way, even if they tried.
There is only one exception to this rule, and I hesitate to mention it because of how uncommon it is: the Ceratoglyphnia styracicola aphid species, which is endemic to Sun Moon Lake in Central Taiwan.
According to what I can tell, this species’ research is relatively sparse, but there are a few accounts of C Styracicola aphids that fell on and irritated anyone who was unlucky enough to be underneath them when they fell after being disturbed in their trees. According to reports, the irritations subsided within a day or two, leaving the skin unharmed. But it’s challenging to interpret these accounts.
Additionally, there is some anecdotal evidence that pea aphids have used their stylets to probe a researcher’s hands, but the available research is scant on this subject.
I was once interested in this topic and decided to conduct my own investigation after noticing an aphid infestation on some kale. I slowly scooped some of them up with my index finger rather than killing them.
I didn’t use my index finger for the next ten or so minutes as I worked elsewhere in the garden to see if the aphids would react, but after that time, I still felt nothing. Most of the aphids remained in place. I only saw one that moved.
In short, nothing happened whatsoever. Go figure!
Are Aphids Poisonous to Humans?
Let’s consider some insects that can harm us for a moment to understand why aphids can’t poison us: ants, a few caterpillars, mosquitoes, scorpions, various spiders, ticks, wasps, and wheel bugs.
What do these bugs have in common?
You’re right if you guessed “They can bite and sting” or something similar. More specifically, poisonous insects can do two important things. First, their mouthpieces are made to pierce epidermal tissue, such as the skin of humans and animals. Second, they have the capacity to spread substances through their mouthparts or stingers, such as liquids or chemicals.
Take ticks, for example. Lyme disease is notoriously spread by ticks, but that is not their primary objective. They intend to pierce mammals’ epidermal layers in order to extract blood They do so using their chelicerae and hypostome. The mouth is flanked by two tiny knife-like appendages called chelicerae that slit through the epidermis. The tick uses its hypostome, which resembles a barbed needle, to pierce deeper into the epidermis after the chelicerae have entered the skin in search of blood, which it draws up through a small groove. It secretes saliva during the process, and it is this secretion that causes ticks to spread disease to people and animals.
Aphids can transmit disease and have sharp mouthparts like ticks. So this begs the question: Why aren’t aphids poisonous?.
Because they cannot pierce skin or spread disease between species despite having piercing mouthparts, aphids are not poisonous. They possess stylets, which resemble needles but are only capable of piercing the epidermal layers of plants
What’s intriguing about this procedure is that aphids secrete saliva while feeding, just like ticks do. Aphids produce watery saliva while feeding and gel-like saliva while moving their stylets through the plant’s epidermal layers in search of phloem cells, tubular cells that transmit micronutrients through the plant.
But here’s the thing: Their salivas transmit plant-borne diseases only. Despite there being more than 4,000 species of aphids worldwide, there has never been a case of interspecies disease transmission documented. Aphids, thankfully for people (and their furry friends), aren’t prepared for that kind of thing.
Are Aphids Harmful to Pets?
Pets, including dogs, cats, and other furry or feathered friends, are not harmed by aphids. They cannot live in or around hair, and unlike lice, they cannot sting or bite.
There are certain insects you need to watch out for if you have pets that enjoy exploring the outdoors or your garden, such as caterpillars, mosquitoes, spiders, and ticks. But you don’t need to be concerned about aphids.
Although it’s theoretically possible, it’s extremely unlikely for your pet to accidentally move an aphid from one plant to another or to displace one. There is no need to be concerned because aphids can spread from plant to plant without the help of pets.
FAQ
Are aphids poisonous?
Are Aphids Dangerous? To humans, no, not directly. But if left unchecked, aphids can be extremely harmful to plants, including crops, which means they can wipe out our farms, trees, and gardens.
What kills aphids instantly?
Spray with Water Spraying aphids off your plants with a strong stream of water from the garden hose is the fastest and most effective way to get rid of them. Since aphids are tiny, soft-bodied insects, even a strong downpour won’t be able to remove them.
Do aphids carry disease to humans?
Aphids cannot transmit diseases to humans or animals. To put it another way, the only harm that aphids can actually do is the momentary repulsiveness that someone might experience if they discover that they have them on them or that they have unintentionally eaten aphids that were hiding in their vegetables.
What harm do aphids cause?
By sucking the juices from leaves and stems, aphids harm a wide range of host plants, resulting in discoloration, leaf curling, yellowing, and stunted growth. A sticky, sugary waste product known as honeydew can be produced by large infestations. Ants may be drawn to honeydew, which also encourages the growth of fungus on plant surfaces.