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pests Aphids

Ladybugs, ladybug larvae and lacewing larvae are my aphid killing crew, and all turn up in my yard naturally as soon as the weather warms up.
Aphid wasps are also great if you can attract them, or can be purchased online.
 
Elscott said:
I kill the ants first then use ladybugs. If you don't kill the ants you will never get rid of the aphids.
What is the best way to kill ants? I've been sprinkling Borax on them when I see activity. Not sure if it is effective.
 
moruga welder said:
Mother Nature takes care of mine ,     :party:
 
Oh, I see. You let them die of old age. :D
 
Last year they brought aphids to lots of my plants but luckily, mainly calendulas and nasturtiums which were decoy plants anyway. I probably have several ants nests but can't pin point them to deal with it. 
 
moruga welder said:
Mother Nature takes care of mine ,     :party:
 
Strangely this is so true.
 
I have a couple of plants in the tent and have an aphid problem, under control, but still a problem.
 
If there is one plant I want to 'rescue' a quick hose down with mist setting from hosepipe  (to flush any treatment they may have on them) and put the pot in the garden with established chillies.
 
Two weeks of mother nature and problem gone.
 
I had 3 waves of aphid attacks on my OW Tabasco plant. I just used a weak solution of Dawn dish soap. That seemed to take care of them.


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I interplant with basil and parsley. But (like honey badger) I have plenty of plants that attract aphids, mainly milkweed. Which becomes an aphid and, in turn, lady bug breeding station. With other nearby plants, I have marigold, calendula (the aphids have never gone for this), dill (does what it wants), nasturtium, and others. Good luck!
 
Whenever I run into aphids on my peppers, I nearly always see ants.

Is there a link between the ants and the aphids?

I think I've seen a few posts allude to a connection, but I don't understand the link.
 
DontPanic said:
Whenever I run into aphids on my peppers, I nearly always see ants.

Is there a link between the ants and the aphids?

I think I've seen a few posts allude to a connection, but I don't understand the link.
 

Ants harvest the honeydew from the aphids and in turn ward off predators.
 
Sh1t eating Ba5tards
 
Whenever I run into aphids on my peppers, I nearly always see ants.

Is there a link between the ants and the aphids?

I think I've seen a few posts allude to a connection, but I don't understand the link.
The ants farm, manage and protect the aphids.
 
I made few borax feeding stations for ants. The idea is to soak cotton ball in solution of borax, sugar and water into a container with holes ants can access but not bees, so a plastic cup with lid with couple of holes drilled. I have seen ants feeding all day.
 
Honey Badger said:
I made few borax feeding stations for ants. The idea is to soak cotton ball in solution of borax, sugar and water into a container with holes ants can access but not bees, so a plastic cup with lid with couple of holes drilled. I have seen ants feeding all day.
I'm loving this thread because ants are the bane of my existence-never appreciate them lil bastards as they bring terror of insects!

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Aphid wasps are the best ive ever seen fast and efficient, getting them is a problem, having a lady bug farm would help lol.
Yesterday out of the blue a massive amount of ants popped up, I used white vinegar, only see the odd ant this morning.
 
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dragonsfire said:
Aphid wasps are the best ive ever seen fast and efficient, getting them is a problem, having a lady bug farm would help lol.
Yesterday out of the blue a massive amount of ants popped up, I used white vinegar, only see the odd ant this morning.
 
Did it rain recently?  In my community garden, I can always count on the ants leaving the mounds after a heavy rain.  At home, I sprinkle cinnamon, as a pet-safe substance, in a circle around the outdoor cats' food dishes.  For whatever reason, the ants won't cross the cinnamon.  In the garden, diatomaceous earth can help kill the ants, along with lots of other crawling insects in the garden.
 
nmlarson said:
 
Did it rain recently?  In my community garden, I can always count on the ants leaving the mounds after a heavy rain.  At home, I sprinkle cinnamon, as a pet-safe substance, in a circle around the outdoor cats' food dishes.  For whatever reason, the ants won't cross the cinnamon.  In the garden, diatomaceous earth can help kill the ants, along with lots of other crawling insects in the garden.
Ants love cat food, don't ask how I know! Summer long fight every year! When do you guys start getting bombarded from aphids and thrips? Curious so I can be preemptive about it and lay some prevention methods out. It's my first veg garden grow and want to be on my toes so as to have a bountiful harvest and vigorous plants.

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The neighborhood pepper guy out by me swears by organicide and diamaetus earth at the bases. I had a HUGE aphid problem on mine because I live in old swamp territory but neem & seventh gen natural soap have by far stopped these turds. Drop of honey with tablespoon of terro kills the ants good too
 
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