Fun pest control fact for the day. These are red aphids on a black eye Susan plant.
Aphids are called ant cows because ants keep them in herds and “milk” them for their honeydew. Ants will actually guard aphids and shepherd them to new host plants once they destroy the old one.
No pesticidal measures were needed. I sprayed them with a mix of water and a few drops of dawn dish soap and then wiped them off of the plant.
