The great aphid massacre

[teuchter]

While I would like the title to refer to my action, in fact it refers to what the aphids do to my plants, which are all in containers on a roof terrace.

There is one plant that hasn't managed to flower for about three years, because the things eat all the buds. This year, it's just about managed to do so but only after I declared an intensive chemical war on the creatures, using something called "Bug Clear".

I don't really like doing that though because I'm worried about its effect on other insects. So I'm a bit reluctant to do the same to the various other plants they are having a go at.

I know ladybirds are supposed to eat them. And I know you can buy ladybird larvae. But they seem to be mainly intended for greenhouses. Is that strategy likely to have any success in an outdoors situation? I have to wait until the weather is warm enough?

 

[platinumsage]

I've just brushed/flicked/squashed a whole bunch of them off my new strawberry plants.

It's hard to get them all without risking damage to the plant though.

 

[Chilli.s]

Roof terrace? Throw everything away, clean the terrace thoroughly and start again. All new pots plants and soil.

 

[nogojones]

I rub them off with my fingers to squish, Or sometimes if I CBA make up a washing up liquid solution to spray them with

 

[JimW]

Roof terrace? Throw everything away, clean the terrace thoroughly and start again. All new pots plants and soil.

Then move house.

 

[blairsh]

I rub them off with my fingers to squish, Or sometimes if I CBA make up a washing up liquid solution to spray them with

This. Cunts.

 

[wayward bob]

neem oil/soap spray. but you need to do it quite often. i spray the wooly aphids off my crab apple tree under the tap, but it's a small tree i can turn upside down to get under the tap. hose would also work.

 

[gentlegreen]

There are never enough ladybirds.

I have tradescantia cuttings rooting in my bathroom and they have aphids on them - indoors !

 

[teuchter]

neem oil/soap spray.

What about all the other insects though.

 

[wayward bob]

Neem oil is particularly effective against small soft-bodied insects. Examples include aphids, thrips, spider mites, mealybugs, scale, and white flies. When applied directly, the oil can coat their bodies and kill them – or otherwise interfere with reproduction and feeding. It is also said to repel mosquitoes, flies, cabbage white butterflies, and moths.

On the other hand, neem oil is not toxic to bees when used correctly! It also doesn’t bother other beneficial insects like ladybugs, earthworms, parasitic wasps, spiders, or adult butterflies – as long as they aren’t directly sprayed with it! Therefore, take care to spray it only in the evening hours, when beneficial insects are least active. Note that neem doesn’t do much to control caterpillars, except maybe repel their adult butterfly or moth form.

eta: i think it can be used systemically too - as in you water it in and the plant absorbs through roots. but i'm not sure if the prep for this is different than when you're spraying...

 

[maomao]

Are ants involved? Ants farm aphids and n the blackcurrant bushes in my garden and I had to get rid of the ants to get rid of the worst aphid problems.

 

[teuchter]

Yes, ants are involved in one container at least.

 

[wayward bob]

/flashes back to ants nest in a bucket of rosemary

 

[teuchter]

Killing all the aphids seemed to make the ants mostly disappear. I don't know what they are doing now. Lots of unemployed ants.

 

[weltweit]

I rub them off with my fingers to squish, Or sometimes if I CBA make up a washing up liquid solution to spray them with

I used to use fairy spray also .. seemed to help on my roses.

 

[teuchter]

But anyway. It sounds like trying to use ladybirds is not a commonly used approach or likely to succeed.

 

[wayward bob]

i've done ladybirds in the past - the larvae are awesome cool little fuckers - but with no way of containing them it was more a gesture to the ecosystem than much else...

 

[nogojones]

But anyway. It sounds like trying to use ladybirds is not a commonly used approach or likely to succeed.

Ladybirds are good, their larvae are better, but their tummys are only so big and there are lots of aphids, and sometimes they fly away. In a greenhouse or other controled environment they are more effective

 

[teuchter]

i've done ladybirds in the past - the larvae are awesome cool little fuckers - but with no way of containing them it was more a gesture to the ecosystem than much else...

What time of year did you do it?

 

[wayward bob]

whenever the people who make money off fools like me and laugh about it tell you to...

 

[Artaxerxes]

The ants tend to farm the hell out if my bean crops every year, it's fucking annoying seeing these black hordes of aphids and shots in them.

I've put a crap load of ant killer down when it was sunny a few days ago and the beans look a bit healthier and less aphids. I'll probably do some soap and water further down the line if they come back.

 

[teuchter]

Well I've been doing a lot of spraying. When my 'bug clear' gun ran out I switched to home made with washing up liquud.

I've never been one to take joy in killing insects, often rescuing flies and spiders and things. But now I take some pleasure in checking out the shrivelled aphid corpses each morning.

 

[maomao]

Well I've been doing a lot of spraying. When my 'bug clear' gun ran out I switched to home made with washing up liquud.

I've never been one to take joy in killing insects, often rescuing flies and spiders and things. But now I take some pleasure in checking out the shrivelled aphid corpses each morning.

Yeah wait till you've poisoned an entire ant's nest, tricking the worker ants into taking home poison to feed to their children. I will burn in hell for my crimes against formicanity.

 

[IC3D]

I go out and look for ladybird larvae. If you find one it's easy to get a few. Take them home and release, they will massacre the aphids.

 

[two sheds]

I'm spraying with water and washing up liquid and neem oil. Not sure whether it's made a difference but I understand you have to do it fairly regularly and that it doesn't kill the aphids but stops them reproducing.

 

[teuchter]

I'm spraying with water and washing up liquid and neem oil. Not sure whether it's made a difference but I understand you have to do it fairly regularly and that it doesn't kill the aphids but stops them reproducing.

It does kill them.

 

[teuchter]

I go out and look for ladybird larvae. If you find one it's easy to get a few. Take them home and release, they will massacre the aphids.

Any tips where to find them?

 

[IC3D]

Any tips where to find them?

I will Google later as need some and have moved but I used to get loads of them of a large fig tree.

 

[iona]

It does kill them.

Washing up liquid does, yeah. The neem oil has some effect which stops them reproducing iirc.

 

[Mation]

I used to use fairy spray also

Is fairy spray like elephant powder? Particularly effective when used in this country. Sprinkle it liberally and tada! Not an elephant in sight