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pests aphids?
- Thread starter srin2
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Yes, all year round.
I even grow peppers and tomatoes indoors in Winter when bugs can be a real problem for plants, especially with no beneficial insects to thin the bad ones out. You won't find any bugs on my indoor plants, but I used to deal with them constantly.
I was always rushing to some greenhouse to buy the latest bug spray. Spent tons of money, but the buggers returned eventually. They can even build up a tolerance to some of the sprays.
I am just trying to show that there are other alternatives to using chemical sprays, and much less expensive ones as well.
Another tip:
Eggshells around the stem of your plants, can help to deter caterpillars, snails, and slugs, in the garden. They dislike crawling over the sharp shells.
: )
I even grow peppers and tomatoes indoors in Winter when bugs can be a real problem for plants, especially with no beneficial insects to thin the bad ones out. You won't find any bugs on my indoor plants, but I used to deal with them constantly.
I was always rushing to some greenhouse to buy the latest bug spray. Spent tons of money, but the buggers returned eventually. They can even build up a tolerance to some of the sprays.
I am just trying to show that there are other alternatives to using chemical sprays, and much less expensive ones as well.
Another tip:
Eggshells around the stem of your plants, can help to deter caterpillars, snails, and slugs, in the garden. They dislike crawling over the sharp shells.
: )
I had them for the first time last season and one spray of pyrethrum fixed it for me. I hope the bastards don't come back.moyboy said:I have never had a problem with aphids....and I pray to the chilli gods that it stays like that....
Conrad_Turbo said:
When it comes to a choice of using chemical pesticides or allowing your plants to be mauled, the choice is easy. A couple of cans of bug bomb should do the trick.
The choice is easy in wanting to be rid of them yes, but you don't need chemical sprays to do it. Here they are banned, and I hope they are everywhere soon.
Homemade sprays of garlic and chili peppers, with shavings of ivory soap is also a powerful killer of pests. Just be sure to rince very thoroughly with clear water after spraying.
Rubbing alcohol too, can rid many insects that are taking up residence on your plant leaves,
: )
G'night everyone...
Homemade sprays of garlic and chili peppers, with shavings of ivory soap is also a powerful killer of pests. Just be sure to rince very thoroughly with clear water after spraying.
Rubbing alcohol too, can rid many insects that are taking up residence on your plant leaves,
: )
G'night everyone...
The Hollyberry Lady said:
yeah they always come back. Usually with more bugs.. currently i have two type of bugs (i think) attacking my plants. the chilli plants with the bugs u see at the top. my brinjal plant is attacked by another sap sucking bug.( its brown in colour and lots of it. the whole plant is looking pale. the leaves looks horrible with white /pale spots and brown /drying spots. With two ladybugs on that plant munching away the bugs at a slow rate.
i followed your advise and i gave the brinjal plant/ eggplant a dish washer soap bath also
i did not want to spray any insecticides because the plant has about 8 fruits there and more coming..If the one soapy shower doesn't work to rid them and you see them back within an 8-10 hour period, then it's time to give another soapy shower again, and so on.
Once you have rid them completely, be sure to shower with hard blasts of water as often as needed to keep them from returning. Check the leaves with a fine tooth comb, to make sure they are all gone from your plant.
If you are consistent and regular, they will never have an opportunity to build back up repeatedly. Again, be sure to get the undersides of the leaves most especialy because this is where a lot of the bugs are. Sometimes too when you're showering, you can use your fingers to go over the leaves and new shoots that aphids are clinging to and rub them off. Between your fingers and the hard spray of water, it is easy to make your plant completely bug and egg free. Once their off, it is even easier to prevent their return using nothing but consistent sprays of water.
I've been practicing these methods for years now and just I cringe when I hear of other people having the same problems that I used to have, and turning to expensive and half of the time useless, chemical pesticides! I know you will never have to buy a bottle of that crap again if you just take the time to shower your plants on an on-going basis.
They will grow better too because they like to be refreshed and have their leaves clean. I used to have mites everywhere, and aphids galore, to the point where I was spending 50 bucks a week on bottles of insecticides to spray my many plants with. It was absolutely ridiculous, and now that I know what I know, I refuse to spend even one dollar on them.
Just recently, they have been banned from Ontario, but I could care less because I have no use for them anyway and can protect my plants without them. You guys can too.
: )
Once you have rid them completely, be sure to shower with hard blasts of water as often as needed to keep them from returning. Check the leaves with a fine tooth comb, to make sure they are all gone from your plant.
If you are consistent and regular, they will never have an opportunity to build back up repeatedly. Again, be sure to get the undersides of the leaves most especialy because this is where a lot of the bugs are. Sometimes too when you're showering, you can use your fingers to go over the leaves and new shoots that aphids are clinging to and rub them off. Between your fingers and the hard spray of water, it is easy to make your plant completely bug and egg free. Once their off, it is even easier to prevent their return using nothing but consistent sprays of water.
I've been practicing these methods for years now and just I cringe when I hear of other people having the same problems that I used to have, and turning to expensive and half of the time useless, chemical pesticides! I know you will never have to buy a bottle of that crap again if you just take the time to shower your plants on an on-going basis.
They will grow better too because they like to be refreshed and have their leaves clean. I used to have mites everywhere, and aphids galore, to the point where I was spending 50 bucks a week on bottles of insecticides to spray my many plants with. It was absolutely ridiculous, and now that I know what I know, I refuse to spend even one dollar on them.
Just recently, they have been banned from Ontario, but I could care less because I have no use for them anyway and can protect my plants without them. You guys can too.
: )
Here's my Chrysanthemums this year...
How do I make the spray, POTAWIE?...
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How do I make the spray, POTAWIE?...
: )
Here's the wiki way
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Pyrethrum-Garden-Spray
Another thing worth mentioning here, I've been reading some nasty stuff about 'sevin' especially if you have kids around
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Pyrethrum-Garden-Spray
Another thing worth mentioning here, I've been reading some nasty stuff about 'sevin' especially if you have kids around
Thank you - I am going to try it just to see what it's like. Love to experiment.
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: )
POTAWIE said:Here's the wiki way
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Pyrethrum-Garden-Spray
Another thing worth mentioning here, I've been reading some nasty stuff about 'sevin' especially if you have kids around
Cool, I have a teenager this might work on...
POTAWIE said:Here's the wiki way
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Pyrethrum-Garden-Spray
Another thing worth mentioning here, I've been reading some nasty stuff about 'sevin' especially if you have kids around
Yea I've read stuff about Sevin as well. Seems as though it's portrayed as being worse than Black death and the like. As always you should practice safety when using any sort of pesticide
INFO
...or not use them at all.
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: )
Blister said:Although I wouldn't recommend using pesticides indoors, I also don't think releasing 1500 ladybugs in the living room would be that great an idea either, but that's just me
True! I am running a hydro setup, one perk is that it doesn't offer a hiding place (like soil) for pests and bugs...so instead they are all in plain view and a PITA to get rid of. I have considered cutting down all my habs to stumps, throwing out the plant matter, spraying any cranny an aphid can hide and regrow the hab plant again...starting in November (when no aphids can fly in from outside).
srin2, I am using Safer's Neem oil:
I only have 1/4 or 1/5 of the bottle left after about two months of use, then I have been spraying Safer's soap the past few weeks:
Still have aphids...
I'm going to look for some Sevin, it seems to be a bit harder to come by than the Safer's products...but hopefully it does the trick.
Why make Safer's rich when you can easily make your own homemade remedies?!!!
: O
Yes, POTOWIE, they have been banned from Ontario- I mentioned that earlier. I am in total agreeance with you and would like to see them banned everywhere.
: )
: O
Yes, POTOWIE, they have been banned from Ontario- I mentioned that earlier. I am in total agreeance with you and would like to see them banned everywhere.
: )
You can certainly choose to use other methods and to be clear, I'm not advocating the use of pesticides over other methods 100% of the time. Each has it's place and application. I say this because I'm not one to fall pray to scare tactics or blanket statements that each and every pesticide will, if given the chance, kill you and everyone you love. There is a lot of propaganda out there that is based on anecdotal quips rather than scientific evidence. This applies to the notion that anything organic = safe, and that anything chemical = unsafe. Are some pesticides unsafe? Yea. Are there some with no real proven harmful effects? Yea.
Personally, I like to take a scientific approach to the problem and gather as much information about all methods as possible before deciding on what to do. If it seems reasonable, I give it a shot. If it works, great, if not, it's on to something else. In my case the natural methods weren't nearly as effective as pesticides. The natural methods have also taken their toll on my plants. This is something that's been observed by others on this board.
Don't take this as me saying that all organic methods are ineffective; rather it's me saying that they didn't work in that application. I also want to be sure that you don't take this as me saying pesticides will be 100% effective all the time. It's situation dependent.
If you don't like pesticides that's cool. Don't use them. If you have had great success with organic methods, I'm certainly not going to tell you that they'll never work, or not to post your experience with them either. Just try to keep the blanket statements to a minimum.
Personally, I like to take a scientific approach to the problem and gather as much information about all methods as possible before deciding on what to do. If it seems reasonable, I give it a shot. If it works, great, if not, it's on to something else. In my case the natural methods weren't nearly as effective as pesticides. The natural methods have also taken their toll on my plants. This is something that's been observed by others on this board.
Don't take this as me saying that all organic methods are ineffective; rather it's me saying that they didn't work in that application. I also want to be sure that you don't take this as me saying pesticides will be 100% effective all the time. It's situation dependent.
If you don't like pesticides that's cool. Don't use them. If you have had great success with organic methods, I'm certainly not going to tell you that they'll never work, or not to post your experience with them either. Just try to keep the blanket statements to a minimum.
There is a drawback to ladybugs I'm afraid.
I copied and pasted the following article from the Learn 2 Grow website, http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...dybugs&usg=AFQjCNFhA5IBw7Ka5dObZ0NL661roFgxYA
"Where do these ladybugs come from?” Most ladybugs for sale are the convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens, and sadly, they’ve been “harvested” from natural winter aggregation sites.
What does this mean exactly? Well, in the western United States, after the ladybugs have fed all summer, they head up into the mountains by the millions to spend their “off season.” While resting clumped together by the thousands, collectors come along and scoop up the hibernating ladybugs. Next, these dazed beetles are either packaged and shipped out to retailers or they’re held in refrigeration to break their hibernation. If they aren’t held to “break” their hibernation cycle, they won’t lay eggs when released. This dormancy stage must be broken for the life cycle to continue.
If you do purchase wild-harvested ladybugs after they’ve had their dormancy broken, what will happen? Most of the time once they’re released, the beetles migrate before starting to feed or laying their eggs. In most cases, they’ll migrate right out of your garden. Unfortunately, this means little or no control for your pests.
Another concern is that harvested ladybugs may have been parasitized by a small wasp called Perilitus coccinellae. The wasp develops as an internal parasite, killing the ladybugs. There is no test for the parasite, so you may inadvertently be adding them to your garden when you buy your ladybugs.
The short point here is that purchasing wild-harvested ladybugs, which almost certainly what you will find at retail outlets, will not do much good for your garden, and it may introduce non-native species into your local ecosystem. Additionally, purchasing these ladybugs may contribute to the decimation of the wild ladybug populations. This is an unfortunate situation because some collectors are taking advantage of an opportunity to literally pick money (the ladybugs) from the landscape, and they don’t see the longer term consequences. If more people know about this reality and stop purchasing wild-harvested ladybugs, this problem can be stopped."
I copied and pasted the following article from the Learn 2 Grow website, http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...dybugs&usg=AFQjCNFhA5IBw7Ka5dObZ0NL661roFgxYA
"Where do these ladybugs come from?” Most ladybugs for sale are the convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens, and sadly, they’ve been “harvested” from natural winter aggregation sites.
What does this mean exactly? Well, in the western United States, after the ladybugs have fed all summer, they head up into the mountains by the millions to spend their “off season.” While resting clumped together by the thousands, collectors come along and scoop up the hibernating ladybugs. Next, these dazed beetles are either packaged and shipped out to retailers or they’re held in refrigeration to break their hibernation. If they aren’t held to “break” their hibernation cycle, they won’t lay eggs when released. This dormancy stage must be broken for the life cycle to continue.
If you do purchase wild-harvested ladybugs after they’ve had their dormancy broken, what will happen? Most of the time once they’re released, the beetles migrate before starting to feed or laying their eggs. In most cases, they’ll migrate right out of your garden. Unfortunately, this means little or no control for your pests.
Another concern is that harvested ladybugs may have been parasitized by a small wasp called Perilitus coccinellae. The wasp develops as an internal parasite, killing the ladybugs. There is no test for the parasite, so you may inadvertently be adding them to your garden when you buy your ladybugs.
The short point here is that purchasing wild-harvested ladybugs, which almost certainly what you will find at retail outlets, will not do much good for your garden, and it may introduce non-native species into your local ecosystem. Additionally, purchasing these ladybugs may contribute to the decimation of the wild ladybug populations. This is an unfortunate situation because some collectors are taking advantage of an opportunity to literally pick money (the ladybugs) from the landscape, and they don’t see the longer term consequences. If more people know about this reality and stop purchasing wild-harvested ladybugs, this problem can be stopped."