Help with pests please

[Mad Chick]

Hi All

I rarely venture into the gardening section as I can even manage to kill off plastic flowers

But this year I have grown some electric daisy's from seed for a bit of a giggle as they sounded fun. They are just beginning to flower and the children are looking forward to trying out the fizzy effect of the flowers when eaten.

Today I've noticed that all three containers of them have large clusters of tiny black bugs around the stems, near the top under the flowers. I thought they were red mite at first, they're so tiny...

Any idea what they could be and what would be best to treat them with? And will we still be able to eat the flowers?

[Totally Scrambled]

Do they look like this?

If they do then they are vine weevils and will kill your plants and they are very dificult to get rid of. Usually best to bin the whole plant soil & all.
It's the grubs that live in the soil that are the worst offenders.
Dom

[lancashire lass]

are they not blackfly (black aphids) ? they'll cluster round tender new growth just like greenfly.

Simple treatment - wash off with a good jet of water, but if that is too vicious on the plants, you could perhaps use a spray with a tiny bit of washing up liquid. Alternatively, brush off/squish with your fingers.

[Mad Chick]

Cool, just looked up blackfly and I'm pretty sure that is what they are, they're all in large clusters around the stems. I shall give them a good squirt with some water and washing up liquid later

Thanks LL

I'm glad it's not vine weevils Dom, they look really nasty
Although I did read it as wine weevils at first which sounded far more pleasant