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pests A novel approach to aphids

Wouldn't pollinating insects also die? 
 
I had started a thread about a month ago on this imid, as a systemic.  Moderators deleted the thread because the discussion turned into a pissing match.  Let's not go there again.
 
Once the plants are big enough to be outside, nature takes it course here. The early watering knocks them off and its never been a big deal. By the end of the summer they're nearly nonexistent. 
 
My biggest problem is indoors with my seedlings. 10 aphids can wreck a seedling and theres nothing i can do other that shake the seed tray and then blow them off outside. Any spray or touching can seriously stunt the plant growth at that early stage.
 
Last year I didn't have enough of a predator population in my greenhouse to compensate for aphids or whiteflies, although this year It seems that a sizable spider population has formed, and they seem to be reproducing - and actually on my plants, not just in the window sills, etc.
 
However, last year when I sprayed neem oil, it seemed to deter them from the specific plant that I sprayed, and just spread to 10 others that were not sprayed instead, Therefore, I ended up spraying all of them instead of just the affected plants, which isn't preferable in my opinion. I don't use "hard" chemicals (like pyrethrin) unless the population becomes such as issue that my entire crop may go down, as I raise bees as well.
 
In addition, like a poster above stated, aphids seem to attract ants, most likely for the sweet honeydew that the aphids produce. I've seen both sides of the story on ants, they can aid in pollination, but may also be a vector for disease - especially in combination with aphids and their choking honeydew.
 
I've also noticed that certain plants seem to be more prone to attracting aphids, which is why I stopped keeping my Hibiscus in the greenhouse in the winter. Pay attention to your other plants to see if they may be attracting the pest. 
 
The one problem that most people are not mentioning in detail is that once the population gets to a certain size, it may be near impossible to rid your plants of them. Once the plant shows signs that it is getting sick and health is deteriorating, the aphids will be more than ready to find another host. The honeydew is really tough stuff to get off - seriously sticky, and chokes the plants off - eventually they may die from suffocation if the honeydew builds too much, if disease doesn't get to them first.
 
I wouldn't do anything systemic if it isn't a critical situation. I wouldn't want that stuff taken up by the plant - and ultimately in to my food.
 
what about trapping them in the soil by using cellophane and bottom watering? 
 
I know people use sand to prevent them from laying more eggs.
 
I removed reference to pesticide from my post. Don't want to ruin a good thread. 
Yup aphids seem to show a clear preference for certain plants (or even strains of peppers). 
 
IMO they seem to like annums more than chinense in general, and they don't seem to like my brown bhutlah;s whatsoever.
Iv also taken to removing other aphid host plants from my property (deadly nightshade, and these vine things which have a milky white sap and grow big pods that kind of look like bell peppers)
 
smokemaster said:
So you grow plants and let them invade your protective plants.
 
So you raised a colony of aphids on other stuff so once they reach critical mass they can really mess with anything nearby.
 
Doesn't sound like any kind of a solution to me in the long run.
Been there,done that.
 
I get Aphid wasps and other aphid eaters in the first place.
 
Stalling is all the aphid attracting plants only adds to your problem.
Kill ALL aphids!
Wasps were expensive but I have no winter-also lots of places next door for aphids to feed the wasps.
I haven't seen an Aphid on my plants in years since I used them(5+yrs. at a minimum).
I've seen 1 or 2 mummies though.
I used them indoors,never saw them after the aphids were gone,BUT they were outside.
From what I read they follow the aphids around,went from my plants to outdoors.
They go where the aphids are,I read they are good for long distance tracking.
 
Is the expence of the wasps more than the cost of growing your plants?Cost of seeds?
I doubt it especially if you are growing $,75 cent seeds and whatever soil etc. costs before aphids kill or disease your starts.
Click to expand...
 
That was a fantastic video!  Do you buy the wasps every season?
 
Thanks, smokemaster.  I'm making a list of plants that attract beneficial insects.  I do have a Winter, but I'll try anything that might help me avoid the aphid infestation that I had last year.  The problem, is that I can see myself getting these plants established, discovering some aphids, panicking, and grabbing the pyrethrins! 
 
I only found one outlet for buying parasitic wasps.  $29 plus s/h for 10 cocoons.  Not bad if they will stick around.
 
From Gardenweb.com.  I invited this guy to THP.  He sounds like one of us.
 
 

 

 

 



I've grown large numbers of peppers, both sweet and hot for years both indoors, in a greenhouse, and outside. Hot peppers are a passion, so I am continually starting new seedlings, and removing older plants. I've never used pesticides in any of my plantings, but have been tempted to on occasion. Generally once or twice a year I get a very heavy bloom of aphids on the peppers and several other plants I grow (especially the roses). For about a week the plants look terrible, covered with the aphids, some leaves falling, and honeydew dripping on the soil. Then the beneficial insects I introduced just one time come up to speed, and control the aphids. It is really amazing to see how quickly they cut the number of aphids, and what a thorough job they do. I have introduced parasitic wasps, green lacewings, and ladybugs. While all seem to maintain some presence in the plantings, it is the parasitic wasps that seem to do almost all the work. I plant a few plants to feed the beneficial insects some pollen, and provide shelter. My best plantings for this purpose are fennel, dill, alyssum, and cilantro. Since I can eat most of these plantings as well, they are not too much of a problem to maintain. Since it is the flowers that provide the most benefit, I allow all to flower freely; they all readily reseed in pots. I introduced the beneficial insects mostly about 16 years ago. Some other beneficial insects have joined the group over the years, particularly syrphid flies, some true bugs, and some predatory beetles. Together, these critters control all my bug issues. I have rarely lost a plant, and I grow quite a few hundred a year. It takes very few extra plants to keep the beneficials happy and fed. By the way, I find that the beneficials mostly stay where there is food, with the exception of ladybugs which will wander, even in the house.
Renais
 
I saw a few lacewings around...I don't think iv noticed them at my place before. Maybe they like the marigold to? This plant is next to them.
 
lacewing_zps899df442.jpg
 
Marigolds are on my list. Now, do I start all these beneficial plants from seed, or buy them as seedlings from the nursery closer to Spring?
 
Only french marigolds. The "domestic" version has most of the stink bred out.
 
As for aphids, I have no problem in outside plants, it's when I bring them inside that is the problem.
 
Good balance of predator and prey in the open air, but inside-----not a chance.
 
Got a 4x4x6 grow tent---usually sold for *other* types of grows---and keeps the ladybugs from flitting about the house.
Mostly.
 
Always a few escapees, but not an issue picking them up and letting them loose or putting them back or on other houseplants.
 
They will stick around for months if contained, as after gorging on other bugs, they mate and lay eggs.
 
If there is no other food source, they eat the eggs, mate and lay more.
 
Of course, there are diminishing populations, but I have still had a few crawling about 4 months after purchasing a load of 1500.
 
I thought these observations from the Gardenweb were worthwhile to post here:
 
The primary way to attract Beneficial's is to provide a habitat they can live in and that means food, shelter, and water. Predators do live on foods other then insect pests, so providing nectar producing plants they can use as an alternative food source in the target insects are not present can hold them in the area.
There is no good reason to allow insect pests to thrive in the hopes that predators will arrive to control them when a proactive plan, an insectary, can keep them around ready to go to work when those insect pests to show up.
 
 
roguejim, the statement "The primary way to attract Beneficial's is to provide a habitat they can live in and that means food, shelter, and water." is accurate.
However, we can manage any or all the elements of a habitat.
There is an axiom in the profession that runs, "By the time you see the first insect, there are at least a hundred".
It applies to both prey and predator.
Seldom have I seen an aphid problem without seeing that (often solitary) adult lady bug on the move.
Given time, the predator(s) will bring things under control but the plant or hedge will not look pretty ... and every self-respecting horticulturist will want to mitigate that.
So it is back to the (IPM) tool box.
It is possible to maintain the 'good looks' by selectively pruning. The "survivors" will entice the predators to stick around.
Of course, selectively pruning. is subjective - to the 'eye of the beholder'.
 
 
Keep in mind that the beneficial and predator insects in any one area evolved with native plants, so planting non natives may not be what is needed even of they are quite attractive to those insects where the are native.
Also note in the article linked above where it says that excess Nitrogen makes plants more attractive to insect pests such as Aphids.
 
In order to be organic certified by the USDA part of your farming layout has to include plant diversity...the biggest reason this is helpful is because of the plant roles in attracting and repelling certain insects.  Two fairly common "weeds" around here that I'm growing, the nightshades Jimsonweed and horsenettle are bug magnets.  I found four tomato hornworms on one of the bigger horsenettle plants back near my raised bed and they hadn't touched the peppers at all...and guess what, they all had wasp eggs on them.  The japanese beetles seem to love the Jimsonweeds and raspberry bushes.  I have no qualms about using wild native plants as beetle traps whatsoever.  The raspberry patch is always loaded with mantids and wheel bugs as well as a result.
 
It certainly helps that my gardens are located in the middle of a hardwood forest in a meadow, but even living in the suburbs it's necessary to have a good leaf litter or forest humus area for your predator insects to overwinter.  It's become a bit of a vanity thing for people to rake up their leaves, bag them, and do whatever with them but leaving the leaves until spring helps your food web immensely.  By the time the overwintered insects can wake up and become active again you just run your lawnmower over the leaves and it helps your lawn.  (I've looked up a lot more about leaf litter since I did my mulching project and discovered this)
 
Roguejim said:
Thanks, smokemaster.  I'm making a list of plants that attract beneficial insects.  I do have a Winter, but I'll try anything that might help me avoid the aphid infestation that I had last year.  The problem, is that I can see myself getting these plants established, discovering some aphids, panicking, and grabbing the pyrethrins! 
 
I only found one outlet for buying parasitic wasps.  $29 plus s/h for 10 cocoons.  Not bad if they will stick around.
Click to expand...
 
I can't help you now, but I'll be able to send folks wasp cocoons next spring. The roses, which the aphids really get going on, had many hundreds of them earlier this year.
 
ikeepfish said:
In order to be organic certified by the USDA part of your farming layout has to include plant diversity...the biggest reason this is helpful is because of the plant roles in attracting and repelling certain insects.  Two fairly common "weeds" around here that I'm growing, the nightshades Jimsonweed and horsenettle are bug magnets.  I found four tomato hornworms on one of the bigger horsenettle plants back near my raised bed and they hadn't touched the peppers at all...and guess what, they all had wasp eggs on them.  The japanese beetles seem to love the Jimsonweeds and raspberry bushes.  I have no qualms about using wild native plants as beetle traps whatsoever.  The raspberry patch is always loaded with mantids and wheel bugs as well as a result.
 
It certainly helps that my gardens are located in the middle of a hardwood forest in a meadow, but even living in the suburbs it's necessary to have a good leaf litter or forest humus area for your predator insects to overwinter.  It's become a bit of a vanity thing for people to rake up their leaves, bag them, and do whatever with them but leaving the leaves until spring helps your food web immensely.  By the time the overwintered insects can wake up and become active again you just run your lawnmower over the leaves and it helps your lawn.  (I've looked up a lot more about leaf litter since I did my mulching project and discovered this)
Click to expand...
What about the 4" of mulch I put down every Fall?  Will predator insects overwinter in the mulch?
Geonerd said:
 
I can't help you now, but I'll be able to send folks wasp cocoons next spring. The roses, which the aphids really get going on, had many hundreds of them earlier this year.
Click to expand...
Count me in.  Best offer I've seen in a while!
 
Roguejim said:
What about the 4" of mulch I put down every Fall?  Will predator insects overwinter in the mulch?

 
Click to expand...
I don't know for sure but it's better than nothing I would think. 
 
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