Little fat green aphids :-(

[Veggiefirsttimer]

How do I get rid of these little green aphids? I got rid of some by showering them with a hose but some are still there! didn't want to use any sprays from the garden centre :-(
Thank you

[WendyC]

Squishing with fingers can get rid of a lot in one go. Did that on my blackcurrants earlier today. If they are on shoot tips and the shoot can be sacrificed, pinching out will remove them too, I'm thinking of pinching out broad bean tips.

[Veggiefirsttimer]

I was squishing them much to my children's disgust! :-) I will keep squishing and hope they disappear, thank you

[Bren In Pots]

I use a bit of Ecover Washing Up Liquid in a water spray bottle its just enough to lubricate the plant so the aphids are easier to squish.

[Irish-Veg]

I was just gonna post a similar question because they're all over 2 of my strawberry plants, how harmful are they?

[Two_Sheds]

Aphids can spread viruses, and they can weaken & kill small seedlings. They won't kill a hefty rose bush, so I don't get too busy removing them from rose buds: the sparrows are happy to do it for me, we have a small flock visiting the garden at the moment, hoovering up little bugs & insects.

[redser]

Same here, at home and at the plot. It's been my main task for the last few days. Well at least I now officially have green fingers!

[spanish_gardener]

Recipe A:
Chop two half filled cups of tomato leaves, fill the cups with water and leave it overnight. Next day pour the water in a bottle and spray the plants.

Recipe B:
Spray them with a soupy water mixture.

I know there are some oil based organic solutions, but I don't know if they are effective as they claim.

[Veggiefirsttimer]

I will mix up some of the soap and tomato leaf mixes! See which works best! Spent a lot of today squishing the little buggers! Do the green fly lay them??

[AkionTotocha]

You can tell who the parents are because they look like fat, ugly little aphids but with wings. That's so they can escape from your dying (food-less, overcrowded) plant to stick their nasty little teeth into something else you're growing, and spread their eggs all over it's young growth.

[Two_Sheds]

Do the green fly lay them??

Aphids and greenfly are the same thing.
Aphids, Hemiptera, life-cycle and behaviour, reproduction, feeding, damage to plants. Biology article by D G Mackean

Quite fascinating insects really

[Veggiefirsttimer]

I must have squished a hundred today on my new purple chilli plant :-( I hate pests!

[Two_Sheds]

I hate pests!

Without "pests" we wouldn't have the nicer creatures that feed on them (eg. ladybirds, lacewings, hoverflies, birds)

[Veggiefirsttimer]

:-) they are actually quite interesting creatures from what I have read, just wish they feasted on the hedges rather than my beautiful purple princess chilli :-)

[Veggiefirsttimer]

Ahhhh, the green aphids are back again :-( washed them off and squished any others I could find!

Really don't want to use the sprays on them!