Best way to deal with aphids?

[Des10]

Hi Alys

What is the best way to deal with aphids, namely green flies? There's a lot of hearsay such as using diluted washing up liquid but is there a sure way of getting rid of them?

[jojo2910]

I like this question, just found some green fly on my lovely rose. I've tried washing up liquid today, so will see how it goes.

[Nicos]

Have to say that I used dilute washing up liquid on a clematis once- and it died!!!!

...maybe it was too concentrated???...but I've been wary of it since!


Oh yes- and it DID kill off the aphids too!

[buzzingtalk]

How diluted are we talking? I've been doing it but it doesn't seem to work....maybe too little washing up liquid?

[chris]

That's why I don't use it, as a) I don't know what's in washing up liquid, and b) I'd probably over do it and kill the plant!

If I were to do it though, I'd be looking at personally putting 1 drop in a hand held sprayer bottle full of water. But as I said, I don't know, and don't use it.

Ladybirds are the way to go! Either attract them, or you can buy their larva..

[mothhawk]

yes, lets hear it for ladybirds! Last year when I saw the undersides of my runner bean leaves were seething with blackfly I was horrified, but in less than two weeks, they had all gone, but the garden was full of ladybirds.

Ladybirds are absolutely right up there with bees IMO

[singlebilingual]

I was searching for aphids on the curled up leaves of my apple tree and saw not ladybirds... but ants muching away on them.

Left them to it!

[boebrummie]

didnt you know that ants heard and farm aphids. they wernt munching on them they where hearding them.

[Alys Fowler]

It’s not approved, but dilute eco washing up liquid will kill off the aphids, but it will also kill off all the good insects, too. The soft soap blocks the spiracles of the insects (the bits they used to breathe through). A better option would be to encourage more beneficial like hoverflies and ladybirds into your garden. Both need lots of pollen as adults so you need plants rich in this to encourage them in. Poached egg plants, Alyssum, Echinacea, calendula and Nemophilia all are pretty things to add to any garden and will draw in the beneficial bugs. Remember that the larvae of both ladybirds and hoverflies are pretty ugly, so don’t squish them on the basis of their looks. The rule of thumb is predators move fast and pests very slowly. If it’s heading anywhere on a mission it’s most likely to be a predator off to hunt tea.