Ditto what Laetitia said. Aphids come in all colors and I know they love iris.

I hope they're just aphids. Aphids I can stomach. Are aphids ever as big as these? They are about 4-5 times the size of the usual orange aphids that attack my butterfly weed . I want to just ignore them, I hate sprays!
Thanks.

Rose

These are apple aphids about 1/8" in size if I remember. They moved in to my garden last year. They were pretty hard to get rid of too. I kept spraying them with the hose every day. What a pain. They seemed to like my false sunflowers and though they didn't kill the plants, they didn't look very good. It sort of ruined the season for me. Hope this helps with the ID because you said your red bugs were flat. I don't know if there are flat aphids but not sure.

Viola:
That is one cool picture!
Laetitia

I've had these little beasts for years and never knew what they was. Thanks for the id. They've always been on plants that weren't delicate and didn't do much damage so I left them alone and in just a short time they were gone. Yes, I love the earth and I use very little sprays but this was from just pure laziness and too much other stuff to do. Hope everyone has a beautiful Easter weekend like it is here in NE MS. Mona

Thanks so much! Now that I know that they are not going to ruin anything, I will just look the other way- the way I always deal with creepy crawlys.

;-)

Rose

Buy a jar of ladybugs!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Ladybugs-Real-Live-Ladybugs-4500-beetles_W0QQitemZ7759304936QQcategoryZ75582QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It will be a massacre before they all fly away. I wonder how many will stick around???

I have always wanted to buy one just to let them go. Kinda neat.

And yes, absolutely cool photo. Take it yourself?

Ants will sometimes defend these critters. But with so not against 4,500 ladybugs I imagineÂ..

Can you see the little white one in the middle?
How did yours get to be that pretty red?

Rose

Rose:

I live in MC, too (in Rockville), and I also got a sudden infestation (makes my scalp crawl!) of tiny red bugs all over my bearded irises in the last week...no idea why!

They are so plentiful they turned the leaves dark red, whcih is how I noticed them. I'm not so good at just leaving them (can't bear the sight and not sure they are not harmful), so I'm looking into how to get rid of them organically, if poss.

Almost no iris buds this year, so I am wondering if they are really harmless, as these are recently divided and usually very successful bloomers.

Rosewoman:
Looks like a 'family portrait' for sure! Maybe the white one is the 'black sheep' of the clan?
Cheilik: Why not try the ladybug remedy for a true organic solution?
Laetitia

I released lady bugs one year and they really did help with the aphids, AND the ladybugs reappeared for several years after that.

I actually think there may be some parasites attacking them now! Recent pictures have shown more of the white ghost looking things on the backs of the red ones & now I think that they're some parasitic insect. They look a lot like the syrphid fly larva in this picture. Isn't nature grand?
I hope they make headway before I have as many adults as in your picture, Viola.

I'm originally from New Jersey, Laetitia. Every now & then I bore my husband with my rendition of 'My Garden State', we sang it in Elementary school.

Are you coming to the Mag swap, cheilik ? Hope to see you there. Details on the Mid Atlantic Gardening exchange page.

Rose

Here is a link that might be useful: syrphid fly larva eating aphids

From what I hear, aphids are mighty tasty to alot of other insects. I think some ants actually capture them and 'milk' them.
Laetitia