I think one of my plants has aphids. There are lots of little green bugs on my hedge, but also some white ones. What can aphids do if untreated? What are some natural ways to get rid of them?
2007-10-22 13:42:06 · 6 answers · asked by MiaOMya 4 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Lady beetles or a blast of water from a hose are the most natural solutions. Dish soap and water solution sprayed on the infested plant is also very popular. You can use Neem oil which is common among gardeners and then there are the nasty chemical pesticides. If untreated the aphids can damage the leaves of the plant and make them unattractive. I've never seen or heard of aphids killing a plant, but that doesn't mean that it can't happen. Aphids are soft bodied so a strong blast of water can kill them. This is the same reason the dish soap works as well. Neem oil is not so bad if all else fails.
2007-10-22 13:59:17 · answer #1 · answered by Sptfyr 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Put a leftover piece of regular soap into a spray/trigger bottle and add water. When the soap starts to dissolve in the water, you can spray the aphids and it will kill them, but won't damage the plant or the environment.
I've also heard that garlic works: crush a few cloves of garlic and add to water in a spray bottle. Same deal as with the soap - kills aphids but no damage to plants.
Ladybugs/ladybirds like to eat aphids, so if you can persuade some ladybirds to come live on your plants, nature will take care of itself!
If left untreated the aphids probably won't do serious long-term damage, but they will leave ugly brown marks on the petals and leaves of your plant. Good luck!
2007-10-22 19:57:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Aphids are blood suckers. But, of course, they suck the green blood of plants. They can kill your plant. I think that they cause the plant to wilt just as if our blood were cut off an appendage. You will find ants all over the plants that aphids are on. I remember reading that the ants use the aphids as milk-cows!
Now, I'm not entirely sure how to control them. But I do know I have read that soapy sudsy water poured onto the plant reduces them. You NEVER use antibacterial dish liquid but just the regular dish liquid in your watering can.
Hope this helps. You can also probably plant some kind of plants around the plants to discourage aphids.
2007-10-22 13:57:40 · answer #3 · answered by Allie 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Aphids usually do minimal damage. In the northern hemisphere the cold weather is about to take care of them anyway. If you do nothing the beneficials like lady bug, praying mantis and lacewing will be drawn to help you out. I would say aphids never killed a plant.
2007-10-22 15:03:28 · answer #4 · answered by Emmaean 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
first try laundry powder soap in water and sprinkler the soapy mixtures on the plants, this will do for aphids, repeat every 2 day for a week
get rid of the ants, ants farm the aphids for there sweets they secret, spray crushd capsicum or hot chili and add powderd pepper to ants hiding place
spray this hot stuff also for flying white flies which feed on every 8 to 10 am, they are visible after this hour its siesta time so they be hiding
no harm will be done on your plants
2007-10-22 13:57:21 · answer #5 · answered by joey b 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Make a solution of equal parts of vegetable oil and dish soap and white Vinegar (about a half cup of each) into a spray bottle, fill the remainder with water, shake well and often while applying. This works really well!
2007-10-22 13:58:18 · answer #6 · answered by ReBelle 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋