Aphid Control

Greenfly or blackfly – also known as aphids – are a major plant pest, sucking the sap of many plants. These small green or brown insects gather on shoot tips, flower buds and the undersides of young leaves. They can also deposit a sticky honeydew on which disease spores can stick, and leaves may twist or yellow.

When Aphids feed off plant sap it causes the plant to dehydrate and then eventually die. However, dehydration is not the only way it kills plants. When aphids suck the sap out of plants, they secrete a substance called honeydew. This causes fungus to grow on the plant which acts as a parasite, sharing the plants resources, killing it faster. As a result, for most gardeners and planters, aphids can be a real problem. There are several pesticides to get maintain aphid control and get rid of the pests.

However, excessive use of these chemicals are not healthy for people or for the plants. Fortunately there are other remedies that can be used for aphid control.

How To Treat Aphids

• Tackle aphids as soon as they are spotted. Spray with a greenfly killer insecticide or, for an organic option, as aphids breathe through their skin, spraying with a diluted washing up liquid will clog their skin and cause them to suffocate quickly.
• Attract Ladybirds into your garden – they eat aphids, whiteflies and all kinds of scale insects. Each Ladybird can eat up to fifty aphids a day! (More about how to attract Ladybirds into your garden coming soon!)
• For plants which are affected outdoors, try to encourage birds with seeds and tables near plants at risk from aphids as they will feast away on the aphids.
• Using Neem oil is a good solution as it gets rid of aphids yet does not affect the growth of the plants in any way. Simply washing vegetables and fruits will wash away the oil, making them good for consumption. While maximising aphid control, the oil does not fend off insects such as bees which are useful to the growth of plants.
• Another method of aphid control is to trick aphids using a yellow coloured glass filled with water. The yellow colour will attract the aphids into the glass, drowning them instantly. Soap on the surface of the water will help reduce the surface tension of the water, so that the light insects do not float on the surface.
• A home remedy for aphid control is to use liquid soap such as hand-wash soap and spray the plants with the solution. This dissolves the protective coating of the aphids causing them to dry up and die. Here again, in the case of fruit or vegetable plants, they will have to be washed thoroughly before use.