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Diatomaceous Earth

worlok

worlok

Found some more infected with aphids outside - and noticed some damn ants hanging around too. :(

I finally got some plus a nice pump applicator. They told me at the garden center to spray mist the plant with water so it sticks.

What I noticed is that the plants are white now. Won't this stuff interfere with photosynthesis??
 
At this point there are no good guys. I have to kill these aphids and ants.

BTW what about the white powder cover? Won't interfere with photosynthesis??
 
Ant are probably farming the aphids for their honeydew.

Or they farm the aphids to feed to a specific type of caterpillar which makes honeydew.

Why not try veggie oil and water suppose to clog up their oxygen exchange system I believe hence death. Or perhaps some dish detergent (Dawn) and water.
 
newhotstuff said:
Ant are probably farming the aphids for their honeydew.

Or they farm the aphids to feed to a specific type of caterpillar which makes honeydew.

Why not try veggie oil and water suppose to clog up their oxygen exchange system I believe hence death. Or perhaps some dish detergent (Dawn) and water.
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I tried that and it nearly killed my plants. Leaves got all crinkly and curly. That's why I am trying this stuff.
 
worlok said:
At this point there are no good guys. I have to kill these aphids and ants.

BTW what about the white powder cover? Won't interfere with photosynthesis??
Click to expand...

the D.E. will hang around a bit and will kill any insect (including any good ones that turn up ) that it comes in contact with.

i had a good read up on this when someone on a brit forum suggested it as an aphid cleanser, i was all for it until i read a bit more then a bit more, and it is too effective at killing thing for my liking, bloody good for slugs if you top the soil around your plants.
as for it staying on the plant i wouldn't worry to much because as the water evaporates and you get breezes the D.E. will get blown off (or you can dust it off) this is the time when it becomes dangerous to other bugs and critters as you don't know where it will end up and what it's gonna kill
 
Would it help if I said that so far all of these plants are in pots on my back deck? They aren't in the garden area. Nothing but weeds are out there.
 
I use DE by fogging it at the ground or base of the plant to coat the bottom of the leaves with dust and it doesn't take much. If you have a lot on the top of your leaves I'd rinse it off and it should still leave enough on the bottom side. If you have ants farming aphids just sprinkle some in a ring on top of the container soil and this should stop the ant traffic.
 
Hmm, the dish soap/EVOO diluted in water worked a treat for me before...plus I added some epsom to it since I was spraying anyways. :)

Have you try Neem Oil yet?


From: http://www.discoverneem.com/neem-oil-insecticide.html

Does neem oil insecticide work? Some gardeners question the usefulness of neem insecticide.

They sprayed neem oil, and did not see an immediate effect. They probably did not understand how neem oil affects insects.

Neem oil does work, but the way it works is different from other insecticides. Neem is not an instant, knock down, kill everything pesticide.

Neem oil affects insects in many different, ingenious and subtle ways.
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How neem oil messes with the insects' brains and bodies

Neem oil has many complex active ingredients. Rather than being simple poisons, those ingredients are similar to the hormones that insects produce. Insects take up the neem oil ingredients just like natural hormones.

Neem enters the system and blocks the real hormones from working properly. Insects "forget" to eat, to mate, or they stop laying eggs. Some forget that they can fly. If eggs are produced they don't hatch, or the larvae don't moult.

Obviously insects that are too confused to eat or breed will not survive. The population eventually plummets, and they disappear. The cycle is broken.

How precisely it works is difficult for scientists to find out. There are too many different active substances in neem oil, and every insect species reacts differently to neem insecticide.
Click to expand...

Oh, and don't forget to spray the undersides, buds, flowers...everywhere...every inch.
 
Down south we are overrun with fire ants and DE is the only effective means I've found to control them in the garden. Fire ants really love okra plants and like to farm aphids on them.
For the containers that are sitting on concrete I just sprinkle a layer of DE and set the container on top of it.
 
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