Purple sprouting broccoli

[annie8]

Oh dear, spotted this yesterday on my purple sprouting broccoli. It’s in a bed with some cauliflower, red cabbage and spring onion, all netted. Only affecting this one plant for what I could see. I don’t want to use chemicals so just used the hose and my fingers to try and get them off, but any advice welcome. I don’t usually grow broccoli so not sure how much of a problem it is going to be.

[Jungle Jane]

I haven’t got those mealy cabbage aphids yet,I usually use a hand sprayer on jet shoot setting,crush a bit of garlic & put in the water with a dot of ecover washing up liquid or hand soap to help wash them off. Every other day spray them off,pest controls a big thing with brassicas,it’s good not using chemicals.

[Snoop Puss]

I'm a squisher too. But you do need to be able to do it fairly regularly. If you can manage that, you should be OK, especially if the problem is confined to a small number of plants. I get mealy aphids nearly every year but can keep them under control, with the help of natural predators.

I have used pyrethrum-based products in the past and they are effective. However, I stopped using them as I don't net my brassicas and I didn't want to affect other insect life, especially predators.