controlling aphids

[gardengeordie]

Just noticed my pepper plants covered in aphids, any ideas how to control it?

thanks :-)

[bramble]

Spray them with soapy water. Hope it helps.

[Bigmallly]

When I had them on Roses, I used to use soapy water:

Best Ways to Get Rid of Aphids - GETRIDOFTHiNGS.COM

[cheops]

Believe it or I don't have any aphids on roses, lupins or anything else. I've loads of lilies and I don't have the dreaded lily beetle and have checked the gooseberry bushes all season and never have found sawfly larvae. I'm not immune to any of these pests that I'm certain but the absence of them is largely because of the local bird life in my opinion. I feed the birds 12 months of the year and there are loads of them about. I've seen lots of times sparrows trying to hover at the windows to pick spiders off and I've seen tits climbing acrobatically up the lupin spires and disappearing into the clumps of the miniature flowered chrysanthemums. They don't do this for the fun of it. The downside is I lose some berries and fruit to the birds. Lately I watched each morning the arrival of a female blackbird intent on hiding under one of the gooseberry bushes and taking a few. One thing I do have are snails and slugs which I've reduced greatly their numbers but there are always some about. Having a decked area doesn't help. I wish I could get under it.

[vixylix]

yep, soapy water, squash as many as you can and keep checking them frequently. they multipy so fast! also check there are no eggs hiding under the leaves!

[Scarlet]

The downside is I lose some berries and fruit to the birds. Lately I watched each morning the arrival of a female blackbird intent on hiding under one of the gooseberry bushes and taking a few.

I have 5 redcurrants bushes, 2 of which are several years old and about 4ft tall, all were stripped bare of fruit along with a full 30ft row of gooseberries. They've eaten the lot this year. I didn't get one gooseberry, never mind a ripe redcurrant!

[gardengeordie]

Thanks will they normally just go for the pepper plants that's all I can see them on

They don't look like they have ate much yet

[cheops]

Scarlet you must have a lot of birds about, but I'm guessing you don't have a big greenfly, black fly problem. Though as you know blackbirds fo example will take your fruit whereas tits for example will take the greenfly. I lost some berries but not as bad as your case. Looks like you will have to net them next time. I had only to net my strawberries, but who knows next year.
Gardengeordie, the aphids don't eat your plants as such rather they suck the juices and life out of them. If your peppers are inside I'd spray them but if outside I'd go for squishing and soap.

[gardengeordie]

Daft question but when I've been reading about lots of reviews say use a proper soap not washing up liquid etc what can anyone recommend that won't damage the plants?

Thanks

[gardengeordie]

put a little bit in a spray bottle and applied it to them, hopefully that will help

whilst in the GH i noticed a few of the pepper flowers going mouldy? what should i do with this?

[chasingmytail]

Biological control works - did it in my polytunnel but unsure whether it works outside

[Chris11]

Daft question but when I've been reading about lots of reviews say use a proper soap not washing up liquid etc what can anyone recommend that won't damage the plants?

Thanks

For spraying chillies, I use Ecover Washing Up Liquid Camomile And Marigold. You can get it in most of the major supermarkets.

[fishpond]

yep, soapy water, squash as many as you can and keep checking them frequently. they multipy so fast! also check there are no eggs hiding under the leaves!

What eggs would that be?

[Nicos]

.....^^^^^

It'll be those newly born babbies which look like eggs when you're not wearing yr specs!

Or else butterfly eggs?

[vixylix]

^^^ all of the above - anything that looks like an egg, be it a butterfly egg or a tiny aphid - scrape em all off