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Where do they Come from

Nilsen

Nilsen

Hi Guys,

I am growing indoors and I was so happy to discover aphids on my plants in my hydro unit. Aphids? Indoors?

So Question:

1. Where do they come from (how did they get there, do they fly)

2. Most of you talk about neem oil/ soap / ladybugs and especially Richard, you said if you're growing indoors and have got aphids it's a loosing battle, why not just use an aphid killer (insecticide) since you're indoors and there are most likely no other benificial insects to kill with it?

Thanks,

goodbye
 
Nilsen said:
Hi Guys,

Aphids?

1. Where do they come from (how did they get there, do they fly)
Click to expand...

Hi Nilsen

They do fly, and you can also get them attached to your clothes if you happen to walk past plants that have them. I'm growing peppers indoors and five of my plants have them. They seem to appear out of thin air sometimes. Like some sort of evil sugar pooping pixies...

As for combating them, I have no experience with neem oil, though I have used soap, SB plant invigorator, and good old fashioned tape. The last option is very labour intensive, since it requires you to look at the plant top to bottom and pick the little critters off one by one. It's also not 100% effective (nothing really is) because all you realy need it to miss one and they shall multiply!. But you won't rid your plants of all of them, you just need to keep them at bay.
 
MO here...

if you grow indoors, you will eventually get aphids...

where do they come from?...like was said above, they fly, they get on your clothes, they seem to come from nowhere....

I wouldn't say it is a losing battle though...

if you have a "closed" area you are growing in...ladybugs work wonderfully well...

I try the lady bugs first and if they can't knock the population down, I go to more drastic measures

I have started using this to combat them...I used it about 6-8 weeks ago and have not had a problem with aphids since...

http://www.biconet.com/botanicals/rps.html
 
I'm convinced they came out of the soil on me. But then I was using real outdoor dirt with all its impurities and crawly things, so i just assumed that's where they sprang from. If you're indoors with a sterile or soiless mix then they rode in by an aforementioned method.
 
Thanks for the replys people, damm critters, I though I'd never see the day an aphid is on indoor plants, I suppose you live and learn.
I did something horrible that I'd like to share.

This morning on my outdoor plants there was a cricket thing, green and eating my leaves, I tried to kill it but it jumped away and hid in the foliage.
Then now at lunch time I was looking at my aphid infested indoor plants and I saw something moving under a leaf, so I just grapped the leaf and squashed it but on closer inspection, it was a newly hatched praying mantis (cry smiley).
Very sad, I could have kicked myself or at least kicked my toe. Dammit me for being to quick on the draw. Oh well.

I will try and catch some ladybeetles and praying mantis's to set on my plants, I like the idea of little pest fighting bugs.

Cheers
 
AlabamaJack said:
I wouldn't say it is a losing battle though...

if you have a "closed" area you are growing in...ladybugs work wonderfully well...
Click to expand...

I had a breakout in my indoor grow closet and after weeks of need oil, then trying green lacewing eggs, the only thing that worked where the lady bugs. Picked up a bunch for around $6.00 from local hardware / nursary store and just closed the door and let them work for a day. I kept the plants moist to keep them on the plants and almost 3 weeks later I still have quit a few living on the plants and larvae as well. Plus I was able to put a bunch in a jar and put them on a plants outside as well and they are doing even better. I see them all over the plants and flying around. However I would suggest you just buy some and give up on trying to catch them. If you have aphids they will multiple much faster then you think and no matter how many you catch if you don't have at least 100 your fighting a loosing battle.
 
LGHT said:
I see them all over the plants and flying around. However I would suggest you just buy some and give up on trying to catch them. If you have aphids they will multiple much faster then you think and no matter how many you catch if you don't have at least 100 your fighting a loosing battle.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply and the encouragement... Funny thing is as I finished reading your post I looked at my plants on the window sill and lo and beold there was a lady bug...
I quickly scooped him up and put him on my plants... He went right to work chowing down loads of fat aphids before he slipped under a leaf for a nap, guess he was full.

There aren't many aphids at the moment, I see about 4 a day and squish them, I'll continue doing so and see if it keeps them under control, if not it's war (with a afore mentioned method)

Heres some pics of the little resident.

DSCN3981.jpg


Biological Warfare
 
Well if you only have a few your probably not going to need hundreds. I had a few on each leaf of each plant when I got my lady bugs. The problem is I was told not to spray with need so the green lace wing larvae will have time to hatch and grow and not spraying for just one week allowed them to get out of control. A few more and your probably good to go.
 
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