Here is the last thing a lot of aphids ever see:
Posted on 05/31/2006 7:27:23 PM PDT by An American in Turkiye
I am growing a few hot pepper plants, and I have discovered that one of them is infested with aphids. Any suggestions as to how to treat this? Most inquiries on the net say they aren't that bad for your plants, and using pesticide won't help. I'd actually like to buy some ladybugs to put in the garden but have had no luck finding a local dealer. Any green-thumb FReepers out there that could help would be much appreciated.
Wash the entire plant with water with Ivory Soap suds.
From a garden pest control website:
Ladybugs (also called ladybird beetles) are the most popular and widely used beneficial insects for commercial and home use. Ladybugs are capable of consuming up to 50 to 60 aphids per day but will also eat a variety of other insects and larvae including scales, mealy bugs, leaf hoppers, mites, and various types of soft-bodied insects. They are one of the most active predators, searching from dawn to dusk for food. Ladybugs are shipped in the adult stage and when released should mate and lay eggs within 8-10 days. When these eggs hatch, the ladybug larvae (which look like small orange and black "alligators") also have huge appetites for aphids and other plant pests.
There are places where you can order these online.
Newts will eat all the aphids.
Ravenous insects in your garden? Bush's fault!
Lady Bugs. They eat them for breakfast!
Hubby is a dedicated gardener and he recommends Neem Oil and alternate the Neem with Spinocid (sp) weekly.
If you choose to try the soap method, be sure to COMPLETELY RINSE OFF THE LEAVES after (no longer than) one hour. If you don't, it'll kill your plant. We tried the soap method but it wasn't as successful as using the chemical products.
Our lawn and gardens look like Good Housekeeping's cover, so you can take this advice to the bank, LOL!
I'm going along with "ordinaryguy" on this one
I've seen greenhouse workers spray a sudsy soap solution on corn to contol aphids.
Here's a modest primer on the technique:
http://www.westsidegardener.com/articles/20040810_aphids.html
It's been years ago, but I think something called "Orthene"
was effective...but was discontinued (or made unavailable to general public).
Gee. I saw him on Fox the other day. He did look a bit chubby....
The witch turned me into one!
(I got better...)
Put some chives around your peppper plants. They repel aphids.
I have two rose bushes that get aphids and all I do is direct a healthy spray from the garden hose at the offenders once a day and it keeps the numbers at an acceptable minimum. You have to spray when the sun is low so the droplets, which act as lenses, will not burn the vegetation where the moisture remains.
Ever since I inherited my Grandfather's drum of DDT, we hanven't had much of an aphid problem at all...
Newts eat aphids? That could help his chances in the farm belt.
Hey, he's swallowed enough crap from the media, what's an aphid or two for Newt?
Here is the last thing a lot of aphids ever see:
Aphids....they are extinct in this area. I just need to get rid of trillions of Japanese ladybugs now.
Whatever you use, make sure you spray under the leaves and at the stem joints. That's where you'll find the eggs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.