Do Aphids Bite Humans? | Can They Harm People?

Aphids have sharp mouth parts that they can use to penetrate the skin of humans. While they don’t technically have a mouth or any teeth, their sharp mandible or tube is used to penetrate vegetable matter. This can pierce human skin causing bumps, a rash or itchiness. Aphids do not sting humans but use their sharp mouth parts instead to suck the sap from plants.

This article will explore if aphids can bite humans, if it is safe to touch aphids and what to do if they are on your plants.

How aphids bite humans

Aphids are tiny, sap sucking insects with sharp mouth parts that pierce the skin of plants. They suck the sap from the plant to get the nutrients and water to feed themselves. They will lay eggs on the plant leaves and the young will hatch and feed directly from the plant.

Aphids will use the same mouth parts that the use for feeding on plants to bite humans or technically pierce the skin. They will do this in self-defense, or if your hands smell or taste like plant material.

Check out the mouth parts of aphids below.

It is best to always use garden gloves when handling plants with aphids, wash your hands afterwards in case any have ventured onto your skin and to wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly.

While technically there is no harm in eating fruit and vegetables with aphids it is best to wash them off to avoid any tiny aphid bites.

Do aphid bites hurt?

Aphid bites or piercings from aphid mouth parts can hurt if the aphid is large enough and is able to pierce your skin. You may get a red mark, it may feel like a sting or a mild ant bite.

Aphids generally are green when they are adults and large enough to bite humans. Aphids were all over my mint in spring and they would get into my house without me knowing.

It is a great idea if you have aphids on your fruit, vegetables or herbs, wash them off outside to remove the aphids before bringing them in your house.

Is it safe to touch aphids?

Aphids can pierce your skin with their mouth parts if they are large enough so it is best to avoid touching aphids on your plants if you can. Wear gloves and long sleeves if you are concerned and want to keep aphid on your skin.

Aphids are light and some can fly so they can travel through the air and get onto your skin from your plants. I like to shower straight after gardening if I can feel dirt or anything else on my skin which will get rid of any pesky aphids that have managed to fly onto you.

While aphids don’t have teeth so they can’t technically bite people, their sharp mouth parts can hurt if they choose to bite you.

Should you pick up aphids?

You should not deliberately pick up aphids because if they are large enough they could pierce your skin with their mouth parts. If they do get on your skin, don’t panic because it is highly likely that they won’t do anything at all.

Brush or flick them off your skin as soon as you see them to make sure there is no risk that they pierce your skin and cause irritation. Wash off any fruit, vegetables or herbs with visible aphids before bringing them indoors to avoid them getting into your kitchen or onto other members of your family.

They are easy to wash off under cold water. Wash herbs thoroughly as they can hide under the leaves or in the join between the leaf and the stem.

Do aphids sting?

Aphids do not sting as they do not contain any poison like bees or wasps. Their mouth parts are sharp however so when they bite humans it can feel like a sting. It has bene described as a sharp ant bite but the only way to tell is to look down and catch the aphid in the act.

How to get rid of aphids without being bitten

If you have aphids on your plants and want to get rid of them without being bitten, check out these easy methods below.

1. Squirt them off with a hose

The first and easiest way to get rid of aphids from your plants is to squirt them off with your hose. Attach a hose fitting and turn it onto the jet setting. You can then squirt away and remove the aphids. This works well on strong plants like broccoli and cauliflower but take care with delicate flowers as the water can push them over.

2. Wash them off under a tap or bucket

When you are picking vegetables and you notice they have aphids on them, wash them immediately under a tap with running, cold water. Wash them from the stem down to the leaves to wash off any hidden aphids.

You can also submerge the whole bunch of herbs, fruit or vegetables in a bucket of clean water. Aphids will drown and eventually float to the top of the water.

3. Use neem oil

Another great way to get rid of aphids without being bitten is to use diluted neem oil. This is an extract from the neem plant that is concentrated and bottled and is great for treating sap sucking insects. You simply dilute it into a spray bottle and spray it on the aphids.

Repeat this 2-3 times and you can get rid of them quickly without harming helpful insects like bees.

4. Let the ladybugs take care of them

Another simple way to deal with aphids is to let the ladybugs take care of them. They can naturally move into your garden and can eat up to 100 aphids each. I let them deal with the aphid problem on my star jasmine and they got rid of them within 2 days.

Do Aphids Bite Humans? | Summary

Aphids have sharp mouth parts that can pierce the skin of humans and it can feel like a sting or bite. Large aphids can pierce the skin of humans but small aphids probably won’t have enough strength to do so. It is best to avoid getting aphids on your skin and wear garden gloves and long sleeves. You can always shower after you garden if you have seen aphids to wash them off.

Happy growing.