What do you recommend to control aphids?

[mybrainhertz]

The annual aphid infestation is occurring. I had to spray a little apple tree with insecticide as it was completely covered, but I don't want to use this again really as it will kill the other insects.

I've been picking some off by hand and squashing them as it's a small garden, but if I miss a day I've had it.

Is there anything I can spray the plants with to repel the aphids, but that won't harm the other insects?

Ladybirds eat aphids. You can buy the larvae or adult ladybirds by mail order.

:27SoapboxFox

Ladybirds eat aphids. You can buy the larvae or adult ladybirds by mail order.

Don't they just fly off?

I've heard water with a few garlic cloves bunged in can work, I haven't tried it out yet but it's on my to do list.

I have a spare spray and garlic, I can try this.

I blast them off the tips with a hose, and leave the rest for bugs/birds

Do ants eat aphids?

I saw yesterday my irises were covered in little black aphids but there were a lot of ants going up and down the leaves.

Can I leave the ants to deal with it?

@Donotgogentle

Do ants eat aphids?

I saw yesterday my irises were covered in little black aphids but there were a lot of ants going up and down the leaves.

Can I leave the ants to deal with it?

The ants are farming the aphids, so they can feed on the sugar rich 'honeydew' they excrete from feeding on the plants.

Encourage birds into the garden, provide places for ladybirds and lacewings to hibernate, DON'T SPRAY PESTICIDES and be tolerant of wasps, as they are voracious predators of anything up to and including caterpillars.

And a quick blast with a hose gets a lot of them off - for food crops, I use washing up water with an ecofriendly washing up liquid, or for broad beans, nip the tops off, as that seems to help.

Neem oil is good. Order online, not expensive and not an artificial chemical. I spray it on in the evening after the bees have gone to bed , a teaspoon each of oil and eco washing up liquid in a litre of warm water. Good for black spot on the roses as well.

I just leave them usually.

I’ve never had a plant die from them nor develop sooty mould.

Occasionally if there are a lot I might be spiteful and eject them with the hose but left alone I find it’s rare for them to actually kill a plant and after a while the predatory insects build up and you notice less and less each year.

That is how it has been for me anyway.

There always seems to be an aphid infestation at this time of year and then later in the summer they just disappear without me doing anything, so I would leave them for the ladybirds. I also often see little birds eating them too.

Encouraging spiders will help. Planting more flowers or taller plants will help.

We bought ladybirds last summer and they worked brilliantly. I was hugely impressed.

Thanks for these tips 😀

@mybrainhertz

:27SoapboxFox

Ladybirds eat aphids. You can buy the larvae or adult ladybirds by mail order.

Don't they just fly off?

This has always been my worry when I consider buying ladybirds. Don’t want then buggering off and eating someone else’s aphids! 😆

I tolerate them for a while, until predators get them. If you use inactive the other insects will die, and then you won't get many predators, they need to feed on the other insects. Leave them, attract more wildlife.

If you use insecticide

Anything oily or with soap works by clogging the spiracles - breathing holes in the skin. So it works as effectively on good insects as on pests. So even though it sounds benign you still have to make sure you’re not spraying it on bees, ladybirds etc

“The ants are farming the aphids, so they can feed on the sugar rich 'honeydew' they excrete from feeding on the plants.”

Thanks - will leave them to it!

I spray with washing up liquid and water, seems to help a little.