Aphids, Cuke eaters?

Question

I've got Aphids on my tomatoes, and someting is eating my cucumber plants as soon as they pop out of the ground. is there anything I can do to stop them without poisioning my family?

Answer 1

Margarita was right , but here are some specifics.
There is a product called Botanigard , it is the fungus that she is talking about. There is another product called ANTI--Pesto- it contains an insect growth regulator. azadirachtin.
That prevents white fly. aphids. thrips from molting to the next stage of their life. They pop inside their skin and die, and it also does not hurt beneficial insects.
If you choose to release Lady Bugs, you MUST, dampen the plants, either Very Early in the A.M. before the sun really rises, or after the sun has just set. Then release the lady beetles at the base of the plants and let them crawl up to find the aphids.

As for the cukes, I suspect BUNNIES! SO ! Spread Moth flakes or moth balls around the entire area, Bunnies and other little mammals do not like the smell. Also again I think Margarita mentioned DiotonicEarth, It will cut slugs and snails to ribbons and not hurt the family. If you do not know which creature is is, you won't hurt any one by using both the earth and the moth balls.

Answer 2

Aphids on the tomoatoes are not a good thing, If you only have a few plants, a strong stream of water should knock them off, and hit it again and see if that helps. you could spray some soapy water on them and add a little rubbing achohl to the mix. and I believe if you grind up some garlic, in a blender with some water and then strain the liquid, and spray it on them It should kill them too. or just squish them.
Let me know how that goes. for the cukes.. go out at nite and see if they are covered with bugs.. mine went to lace over nite sometimes and earwigs were the culprit. otherwise, it could be a cutworm, the cut the plant down as it pops up sometime. or if there is a trail of slime on them, or near them... .slugs. we also have trouble with quail eating them
Some slug baits work good for earwigs too. I heard that if you take a pop bottle, cut off the top to make like a funnel, invert it and put it back into the bottle with the funnel side down, and some tuna flavor cat food in it as bait, then seal the funnel so it doesn;t come off, and set it near the plant, earwigs will fill the trap and you can toss them in the morning.

Answer 3

u can use bug-b-gone on the plants just make sure u let 4 to 5 weeks pass before u attempt to eat anything that has been sprayed! or just spray the area around the plants if u wish... just spray the aphids off with a good burst of water!

Answer 4

FOR MOST APHIDS USE WASHING UP LIQUID IN A CLEAN SPRAY BOTTLE DILUTED WITH WATER JUST ENOUGH TO STICK TO PLANT STEMS AND LEAVES.AND TREAT WITH A SQUIRT AS DESIRED.GOOD FOR PLANTS AS NO CHEMICALS INVOLVED. REMEMBER TO WATER WELL IN HOT WEATHER A FEW HOURS AFTER AS SOLUTION COULD BURN THE LEAVES IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT.
OR CONTACT GARDEN CENTER AND ASK TO OBTAIN LADYBIRDS FOR YOU. AVAILABLE AT REALLY GOOD GARDEN CENTERS THEY WILL ET THE APHIDS.

Answer 5

Use safer' soap and apply it as a spray after you have hosed them down first with plain water . Repeat at 5-7 days if needed, hose off first each time with plain water.

Answer 6

Diatomacious earth and pyrethin to kill any aphids.

Answer 7

I found this on-line. Hope it helps. Now, to get rid of the dreaded aphids in my honey locust tree....

Control:

Although aphids seldom kill a plant, the damage and unsightly honeydew they generate sometimes warrant control. Consider the nonchemical controls discussed below; most insecticides, if used, will destroy beneficial insects along with the pest. On mature trees, such as in citrus orchards, aphids and the honeydew they produce can provide a valuable food source for beneficial insects.

Biological Control:

Natural enemies can be very important in the control of aphids, especially in gardens not sprayed with broad-spectrum pesticides (organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids) that kill natural enemy species as well as pests. Usually natural enemy populations do not appear in significant numbers until aphids begin to be numerous. Among the most important natural enemies are various species of parasitic wasps that lay their eggs inside aphids. The skin of the parasitized aphid turns crusty and light brown, a form called a mummy. The generation time of most parasites is quite short when the weather is warm; when you begin to see mummies on your plants, the aphid population is likely to be reduced substantially within a week or two.

Many predators also feed on aphids. The most well known are lady beetle adults and larvae, lacewing larvae, and syrphid fly larvae. Naturally occurring predators work best, especially in a small backyard situation. Commercially available lady beetles may give some temporary control when properly handled, although most of them will disperse away from your yard within a few days.

Aphids are very susceptible to fungal diseases in humid weather. Whole colonies of aphids can be killed by these pathogens when conditions are right. Look for dead aphids that have turned reddish or brown; they have a fuzzy, shriveled texture unlike the shiny, bloated, tan-colored mummies that form when aphids are parasitized.

Cultural Control:

Before planting vegetables, check surrounding areas for sources of aphids and remove them. Aphids often build up on weeds such as sowthistle and mustards, moving onto crop seedlings after they are planted. Check transplants for aphids and remove them before planting.

Where aphid populations are localized on a few curled leaves or new shoots, the best control may be to prune these areas out, drop the infested plant parts in a bucket of soapy water, and dispose of them. In large trees, some aphids thrive in the dense inner canopy; pruning these areas out can make the habitat less suitable.

In some situations ants tend aphids and feed on the honeydew aphids excrete. At the same time, they protect the aphids from natural enemies. If you see ants crawling up aphid-infested trees or woody plants, put a band of sticky material (Tanglefoot, etc.) around the trunk to prevent ants from getting up. Do not apply sticky material directly to the bark of young or thin-barked trees or to trees that have been severely pruned; the material may have phytotoxic effects. Wrap the trunk with fabric tree wrap or duct tape and apply sticky material to the wrap. Alternatively, ant stakes, dusts, granules, or baits may be used on the ground to control the ants without affecting the aphids or their natural enemies. Prune out other ant routes such as branches touching buildings, the ground, or other trees.

High levels of nitrogen fertilizer favor aphid reproduction. Never use more nitrogen than necessary. Use less soluble forms of nitrogen and apply it in small portions throughout the season rather than all at once. A urea-based, time-released formulation (most organic fertilizers can be classified as time-release products as compared to synthetically manufactured fertilizers) is ideal.

Because many vegetables are primarily susceptible to serious aphid damage during the seedling stage, losses can be reduced by growing seedlings under protective covers in the garden or in a greenhouse, or inside and then transplanting them when they are older and more tolerant of aphid feeding. Protective covers will also prevent transmission of aphid-borne viruses.

Aluminum foil mulches have been successfully used to reduce transmission of aphid-borne viruses in summer squashes, melons, and other susceptible vegetables. They repel invading aphid populations, reducing numbers on seedlings and small plants. However, as plants grow, aluminum foil mulches give mixed results for aphid control; they seem to repel natural enemies of aphids as well as aphids. The few aphids that do drift onto plants grow and reproduce with greater speed than those landing on plants growing in bare soil because temperatures are higher on the aluminum foil-mulched plants. Yields of vegetables grown on aluminum foil mulches are usually increased, despite higher aphids numbers, by the greater amount of solar energy reflecting on leaves.

Another way to reduce aphid populations on sturdy plants is to knock them off with a strong spray of water. Most dislodged aphids will not be able to return to the plant and honeydew will be washed off as well. Using water sprays early in the day allows plants to dry off rapidly in the sun and be less susceptible to fungal diseases.