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pests Best ways to counter Aphids?

The_Birdman

The_Birdman

Hi, I have real trouble with green Aphids on my indoor plants (I keep 3-4 large ones just inside my French doors). The most effective solution I have found is deploying ladybird/ladybug larvae on the plants, but they never seem to stay permanently and need to be continually replaced as they find their way out to the garden (I guess the Aphids come in via the same cracks). Does anyone have any additional tactics, like maybe positioning/spacing, non-chemical solutions or ways to encourage the ladybirds to stay/repeat their lifecycle on the plants?
 
Thanks!
 
The only thing that worked for me was insecticidal soap, but that's a chemical solution.  It also set my plant back for quite a while.  
 
     Ladybugs only hang around as long as there's habitat and food for them. Once they eat all the aphids, they take off. Grow some flowers like marigolds near your pepper plants and they'll eat the pollen in the flowers. Probably too late now, just something to consider for the future.
 
Dr bronners liquid Castile soap. One tablespoon to one spray bottle if water. Or 5 tablespoons to a gallon of water. Wait 15 min, rinse off. Little fuckers are done for then.
 
I had a very serious problem that seemed to pop up over night. Tried some chemicals from local hardware shop that didnt seem to work at all. Removed the really infested leaves and set them on fire in the fire pit. Sprayed the rest of the plants heavily with dawn dishsoap and water in a spray bottle. There were still aphids on the leaves today but upon touching them they were all dead and fell off easily. Sprayed them down today with the hose and the plants seem aphid free for now! fingers crossed! I have a small garden and will be releasing ladybugs soon, hoping they stay around as we have a lot of flowers for them to enjoy.
 
calypso...
either sprayed or given with the water. everything dead. kind of grim reaper.
one should not worry that it's a potent neurotoxin (for bugs)... if dosis was to high, you might not notice. :D
 
I tried the insecticidal soap, it only killed 15%. I tried azamax, killed everyone, it took care of the leaf miners, leaf hoppers too.
No damage to my leaves in Very hot Southern California (under shade cloth though),
Very satisfied with azamax. Will be using every 3 weeks as a preventative this year.
May be pricey for some, but if I had too, I would pay a lot more to keep my hard loving work unscathed.
 
Bug B Gone. Its the only thing that works both short and long term. Insecticidal soap will leave a disgusting film that just builds and builds. Eventually becoming like sticky soda all over your plants. And it really sets them back. And you will have to continually use it as it only works short term.
 
Insecticidal soap worked great for me.  Just spray it on but don't spray it on too heavy because it will drip off and the soil will absorb it. All the aphids will turn will die and turn brown in a day or two.
 
I used neem oil concentrate and regular dawn through a pump sprayer last year and had great results.  I was fairly generous with the amount of water to oil and soap to be on the safe side.  
 
queequeg152 said:
IMIDICLOPRID YO.
Click to expand...
 
While generally wary of this insanely toxic (to bugs) and persistent insecticide, it _does_ work!
If the plants will be grown indoors, away from beneficial wild insects, go for it!
 
NUKE EM! 
 
Slim.jpg
 
i would not consider it insanely persistent. half life in soil with oxygen is like 20 days. its fiarly tightly bound to soil particles too, so its not likely to runoff into surface waters.
 
id consider copper sulfate more toxic and long lasting than imidicloprid.
 
The first few google hits suggest a soil half-life of 1~6 months.
Given how toxic it is, a big dose (technical overdose) could take many half-lives to decay to a bee-safe level.
 
Call me 'cautious.'
 
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