How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

We are having a pretty bad aphid problem in our garden. We are seeking a natural way to get rid of those buggers. We have tried tobacco water sprayed onto the leaves of our plants but to no avail.

HELP!!

Re: How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

Insecticidal soap supposedly works well on them. You can make it yourself with a little dishwashing liquid.

We have them so bad here in houston, I have had to give up on non-chemical control methods. We use triazide on non-vegatable plants and we use "garden vegatable spray" on the vegatables very sparingly.

>>SNIP:
Doug Harp, a graphic designer friend, first alerted me to
soap as an effective all-purpose pesticide when he used Dr.
Bronner�s Liquid Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap diluted with
water to kill the gypsy moths that had infested his apple
trees. We were working on a project together, and I�d get
faxes updating me on his kill rate (this was back before e-mail),
which, much to his delight, was excellent! Impressed, I made
a mental note to look into insecticidal soaps, which I have
since done.

Soap has been used for centuries as an all-purpose pesticide.
It disrupts insects� cell membranes, and kills pests by
dehydration. The key is not to use too much soap, or you�ll
also kill the vegetation near the pests. If you follow the
proportions of soap to water in the Soap Spray recipe, below,
the vegetation should be fine.

Note: Buy a liquid soap and not a detergent. Health food
stores have liquid soaps, such as Dr. Bronner�s Pure-Castile
Soaps.

Insecticidal Soap Spray
1 to 2 tablespoons liquid soap
1 quart water

Combine ingredients in a bucket, mix, then transfer to a spray
bottle as needed.

All-Purpose Pesticide Soap Spray
Strong smelling roots and spices such as garlic, onions,
horseradish, ginger, rhubarb leaves, cayenne and other hot
peppers, are all known to repel insects.

INGREDIENTS
A handful of roots and spices
Enough boiling water to cover
Soap Spray (recipe, above)

Add the roots and spices to the bottom of a mason jar. Cover
with the boiling water, screw on the top, and let set overnight.
Strain, and add to the Soap Spray. Note that this will rot,
so use it all up or freeze leftovers for another time.

Variation: Garlic Spray
Use 1 to 2 heads garlic. Deer and rabbits hate the smell
of garlic.
>>SNIP

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/hom...idal-soap.html

Re: How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

Aphids are easy to control with heavy duty pesticides but who wants to spray their veggies with Raid?
A fairly simple organic way is to spray them with 1 tsp Dawn dish soap and 1/2 tsp horticultural oil (or even vegetable oil, I've heard,) mixed in a quart of water. The oil clogs their breathing organs (spiracles) and the detergent dessicates them.
It may need repeating since it only kills those aphids contacted. Safer makes some good organic controls for aphids. Always follow label directions.
Here's a link that may help you: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7404.html :D

Re: How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

We buy lady bugs and release them in the spring. Too late now to buy some.

Re: How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

We have the opposite problem. Some years back, one of the big timber companies released an Asian beetle that looks very similar to the Lady Bug ( except more orange in shell color than red ) to combat aphids. Must work great, because we NEVER see any aphids....however, the beetle apparently has no natural enemy here, and went absolutely wild in reproduction ( you REALLY shouldn't mess with mother nature ) and is now a huge pest in it's own right.

They invade the house in late fall looking for a warm place to over winter, and the first warm days of spring, they swarm out of every crack and crevice in a house.....and inside too....the bastards can work their way around ANY window/door weatherstripping and you find dozens to hundreds of them inside your window areas on the south and west sides of the house....they seem to die off fairly quick, but we'll sweep dozens per day out of the window sills and such areas....and, as an added benefit, they STINK.

I have to take the ceiling light cover off of the bedroom every spring and dump out the dead ones.....and this from what by all appearances is a SEALED fixture.......I'd hate to think how many must be back in the walls and such......they can literally get in anywhere.

Re: How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

Re: How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

I've got an organic garden in a continuous state of growth and destruction. When my first crop of tomato plants were setting fruit I noticed a fairly bad infestation of aphids. I sprayed them with Neem Oil two or three times with no results. Then I sprayed them with a pepper soap concoction my sister in law came up with. It burned the leaves and we almost lost the plants. After a couple weeks surviving the aphids and burn damage, true bugs started working over the plants, so I sprayed them with a DE soap mix which didn't stop the bugs either.
So right now today I'm harvesting probably more tasty tomato's than our little clan can eat from a half dozen incredibly ugly damaged beat up plants that still have aphids and stink bugs crawling all over them. Oh, and tomato horn worms ate the tops off the plants as well.
I must admit the tomato's are marred, split and discolored, but damned if they don't taste great.
My population of lady bugs is thriving too. I've never seen so many cute little lady bugs.
Skinks, snakes, lizards, frogs, toads and birds are on the increase as well.

My best advice is try to spray the aphids off with the garden hose without doing too much damage, snip the worms with scissors and curse the stink bugs because they are really hard to catch.

Good luck and may your garden be fruitful.

Re: How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

Sevin dust is carbaryl. It's not effective on aphids but it's armageddon on honeybees.

Re: How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

I use soap with pretty good success rate for aphids but there's something else eating a bunch of little holes in the leaves of my pepper and egg plants ...I think the soap has slowed them down a bit.....if everything keeps going well I'm sure the garden will be producing enough veggies for the bigger critters to come in and reek havock......little varmint bastards.:banghead:

Re: How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

I suppose you could stop ingesting Substance D. (Obscure reference perhaps, but I made it anyway.) :D

Re: How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

Boids. Small. Supply nesting boxes

Over here Blue Tits do the job (cue for pic from Ihs)

http://i.pbase.com/g3/71/36871/3/541...04_Bluetit.jpg

Diffrent sort of 'burd'

Re: How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

I am back again this year with the same problem. I am pissssssed this time. My tomatoes are doing so well and I don't want to see them get devoured.

I have heard that ants farm the aphids. Maybe there is a way to kill the ants and slow the aphid growth?

Re: How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

You should have gotten the ladybugs..

Re: How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

Two weeks too late again to buy lady bugs, at least where I live.

Re: How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

...........Chickens?

Re: How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

Re: How to Get Rid of Pesky Aphids?
 

Diazinon or Malathion. Nuke 'em all.