overwintering Aphids and over wintering....Safe easy control method

Masher

Masher

Noticed a small colony at the base of one of the Fatalii over winters....did a few you tube searches and found this method..
 
No sprays, No soap and oil solution, No chemicals.....Just Scotch Tape.
My plants have very small and new tender growth so didn't like the idea of using my finger as the dab tool.
 
I took some shipping container tape, wrapped it around a pen to create a small diameter tube that can be used more direct and better control.
 
Worked excellent....probably not great for huge infestations but for small plants with new growth this is a great method.
 
To the naked eye, I though I had about 10.....Tape says otherwise. Will do this regularly as needed. Just to easy not to.
 

 

 
 
 
I also did the wash a couple days ago......but when I saw them again this morning I was going to use azamax, neem and soapy water.
 
Decided against it and went searching. I will still use the water when they get tougher, but for now...just too easy to sticky and dispose.
 
Just noticed an aphid problem on a few of my OWs. Made a dish soap/veg oil/baking soda/ water solution. Seems to work best when there is a lot of them and don't want anymore leaves to drop off while handling with tape.

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All my original leaves from repotting fell off.....I only have new fresh growth exposed.

I gently roll the tube over and under leafs surfaces...and the trunk and stems.

Had to repeat twice so far. Will do it again in the morning then neem oil to suffocate any eggs.
 
While the tape works, the little B@sturd$ breed faster than rabbits on steroids.
 
I have continued with the tape tube as needed and it is still picking up the critters....applied neem oil yesterday as well.
 
While the tape does let you see results on the tape....it is only a minor visual band aid.
 
Need something to kill of eggs as well...The battle continues.  
 
 
 
 
 
if may.. after you wash them off or scotch tape them off or whatever your preferred method is, to stop  them from coming back and to kill the ones you may have missed do what i do and just wrap the scotch tape up the stems sticky side out... aphids always seem to explode on plants brought indoors for winter for me so i started doing that as soon as i bring them in and have never had a problem since... anything that came in with the plants or may not have hatched yet starve to death if they dont get stuck on the tape first...
 
Safer's soap or equivalent ( potassium salts of fatty acids) Low toxicity and soil half life of less than a day. May need a couple of applications to cover the aphid life cycles but works great and breaks down quickly. Best to cover the plants after spraying if you can so it wont stink the place up and you don't want to breath it in as it is an irritant.
 
Checked them last night....had to power spray a few areas on a couple of the over winters.
 
Not a big deal....just BUGS me that you can see these pests. since they are in the utility room on a shelf at eye level, these get spotted pretty fast.
 
Water etc will continue as needed....I still am using the tape tube...a lot of satisfaction seeing them attached to it, but much in the way of control or eradication.
 
Ive been placing tape around the plants and found its great as a trap, use it too to pick them off, good idea the tape :)
 
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i'm trying out DE myself.  
 
 
washed the plants, sprinkle DE on the top as a dressing.  from what i have been reading you might get the majority of the bugs, but the larvae still live; the larvae do drop from the plants down onto the dirt then hatch. from my understanding DE is more sharp and razor like even though microscopic.  it slices through them pretty easily from my research.  a small bag of DE from home depot ran me 8 bucks or something like that.  keeping an eye on the 3 plants i have done this too :)  
 
 
chocolate reaper
and 2 ed curry reapers 
 
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