- Inspect your plants frequently: A single aphid in your garden can produce as many as 80 offspring a week, and it can breed several times. Inspect your plants as frequently as possible, and pay close attention to the underside of branches and leaves. In addition, newly bought plants should be checked for aphids before they are placed in the garden.
- Squish them: You can get rid of a few aphids simply by picking them off and squishing them. Aphids are usually very easy to catch, although this is a time-consuming activity. Wear gloves before squishing aphids because their juice might irritate your skin.
- Blast them with water: Aim the hose at affected plants and blast the critters away. Aphids that are dislodged don’t usually return to the same plant. There are hose attachments that you can buy, which are made specifically for this purpose.
- Snip off colonies: Aphids can often be found in groups or colonies. Snip off parts of your plants that contain these colonies, and destroy all the aphids. You won’t be able to get rid of all the aphids in your garden this way, but it will certainly prevent a breeding frenzy.
- Don’t “fatten up” your plants: Applying fertilizer is good, but be careful not to put too much, or you’ll just fatten up your plants for aphids. These insects love new growths in overly fertilized trees and plants. You may use slow-release types of fertilizers to avoid aphid infestation. It’s also an excellent idea to grow your plants under a protective cover until they’re large enough to withstand aphids and other insects.
- Introduce predatory insects in your garden: Ladybugs and lacewings feed on aphids, reducing their population. You can purchase these insects from garden shops and on the Internet. It’s best to buy lacewings that are already adults because if you buy larvae, the aphids will have already done a great deal of damage before they mature. The only drawback with introducing predatory insects is that they will likely move to other gardens when they’ve already eaten most or all of your aphids.
- Get rid of ants: Ants are natural allies of aphids. They love to feed on the honeydew or sugary sap that aphids generously secrete. Since aphids are beneficial to the ants’ survival, they keep them alive by protecting them from their predators. They also carry aphids to other plants, so they can make more honeydew for them.
- Plan your plants: Do not grow birch trees on your garden because they are known to attract aphids; instead, grow aphid plants such as Queen Anne’s lace, sweet fennel, spearmint, and white sweet clover, because they shelter aphid predators like lacewings and ladybugs.
- Try some folk remedies: Gardeners and farmers have fought against aphids for a very long time. As a result, there are many folk remedies for aphid infestation, some of which have been verified by scientists to work. One effective folk remedy is to plant marigolds in your garden, because they attract insects that prey on aphids. You may also plant onions, garlic, and chives because they repel aphids. If you want to try something weird, how about shredding banana peels and burying them around your plants? Old folks swear that this aphid control technique works like magic.
- Make your own insecticide: Mix two teaspoons of mild laundry or dish soap in a bottle of lukewarm water. This homemade insecticide kills aphids by destroying the waxy coating of their bodies, causing dehydration. You may also mix three parts lukewarm water with one part horticultural or vegetable oil. Add a couple of drops of laundry or dish soap to make the formula more effective. Spray the insecticide once a week on all affected plants. If you’re growing vegetables, thoroughly wash them before eating. Do not spray the oil insecticide on hot days because the oil may magnify the sun’s heat and cause more damage to the plants.
Commercial Aphid Insecticides
One of the most effective ways to get rid of aphids in your garden is to use commercial insecticides. There are many commercial insecticides that can kill aphids, so you won’t have any trouble finding one for your garden. Gardeners and farmers usually use insect growth regulators (IGRs), pyrethrins, and insecticidal oils and soaps to kill aphids.- Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs): IGRs work in different ways to destroy aphids. Some IGRs act like juvenile hormones that prevent aphids from reaching reproductive maturity. Other IGRs disrupts the production of chitin, so the aphids can’t make their exoskeleton. There are also IGRs that disrupt the insects’ molting process. Preclude, Neemix, Enstar 2 Neemasad, and Azatin are all excellent IGRs.
- Pyretherins: Pyretherin insecticides usually come in sprays, and they’re also very effective against aphids. Pyretherins are extracted from chrysanthemums, but synthetic forms called pyrethroids are also available. Both pyretherins and pyrethroids are extremely effective against aphids and other pests. Experts recommend high-quality pyretherins such as Pyola, Schultz, Bonide, and Safer for use in your garden.
- Insecticidal oils and soaps: Some IGRs can be harsh on plants, so if you don’t want to risk damage, consider applying insecticidal oils and soaps instead. Horticultural oils and insecticidal soaps like Bon-neem and Safer are widely used by gardeners and farmers. Spray these products directly onto aphid colonies and plants to solve the problem.Insecticidal oils and soaps work by trapping the aphids and suffocating them. They also wash away the waxy coating that protects their bodies. The chemicals change the structure and permeability of the aphids’ cell membranes, causing cell contents to leak out and dehydrating the insects.
Don’t put off getting rid of aphids because these insects can destroy trees and entire gardens. Also, always check your garden for returning aphids once you’ve already applied insecticides. Aphids can be carried by wind, so some of them may land on your garden again and cause another round of problems. Never underestimate these little critters, because they’ve spelled doom in larger gardens before.
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Pests And Diseases
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