See Spots Run...
- Thread starter Cowgirl
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dorothydot
New Member
Aphids are also pretty easy to control using either Insecticidal Soap or roughly a gallon of water with a tablespoon of liquid laundry detergent added - spray both topside and underside of plants so all aphids get drenched. If you use the laundry soap, wait about 4 hours, then rinse the plant/s with clear water.
This is really pretty environmentally-friendly stuff. The soap replaces an essential component in the bug's exoskeleton - no more exoskeleton. Now the bug-guts leak out. And bug dies.
If you have a really bad aphid problem, repeat the spraying every week or so, just to get all the critters.
PS - Hint: this soap solution spray works on many insects - but not the ones that, like scales, have waxy coverings. The softer the bug-body, the better this works. And it's a contact-killer, not a chemical destroyer.
PPS - Worked just fine on the woolly aphids that threatened my White Pine a few years back! Tree smelled really great, too. Sure got the mailman puzzled!
This is really pretty environmentally-friendly stuff. The soap replaces an essential component in the bug's exoskeleton - no more exoskeleton. Now the bug-guts leak out. And bug dies.
If you have a really bad aphid problem, repeat the spraying every week or so, just to get all the critters.
PS - Hint: this soap solution spray works on many insects - but not the ones that, like scales, have waxy coverings. The softer the bug-body, the better this works. And it's a contact-killer, not a chemical destroyer.
PPS - Worked just fine on the woolly aphids that threatened my White Pine a few years back! Tree smelled really great, too. Sure got the mailman puzzled!
Cowgirl said:Got my ladybugs today. About half of them were dead.There were still a ton of them though. Now my plants will be aphid free!
on natural pest control! Bugs don't really ship well, especially in this heat, so they send bunches of them so at least half survive.Like dorothydot said, and I've said before, insecticidal soap is da bomb against aphids and other critters, plus it's environmentally safe.
Cowgirl
Well-Known Member
jazz lady said:
Like dorothydot said, and I've said before, insecticidal soap is da bomb against aphids and other critters, plus it's environmentally safe.
If I use insecticidal soap now, the ladybugs will starve!
Gardens Alive! shipped them on Friday.....they said on their website they usually ship on Monday or Tues, to avoid the bugs having to sit over the weekend. I sent them an email and they're sending me another order!
Lilypad
Well-Known Member
Via land or air?Cowgirl said:If I use insecticidal soap now, the ladybugs will starve!
Gardens Alive! shipped them on Friday.....they said on their website they usually ship on Monday or Tues, to avoid the bugs having to sit over the weekend. I sent them an email and they're sending me another order!
There's a "weather embargo" in effect for air cargo.
