Severe Aphid Infestation!

Plant lover's....Help me out!

I was outside watering my window boxes because my plants looked droopy. When I looked closer I noticed thousands of little green aphids covering them! Yuck!! Is there anything that I can use to rid my plants of these bugs or should I just pull them out and re-plant?

I went outside to take pic's of my sad plants... There must be hundreds of thousands of bugs I think that it's hopeless..I'll have to pull them

Here's a pic

A mixture of dish soap and water will do the trick. Here's a link: http://thegardengossip.com/2007/04/0...ap-and-aphids/

I would definitely remove the plants, place them away from the house if you want to try to save them. Remove all the soil, and then soap and water boxes and windows, surrounding area. That is something you don't want to spread into your house plants.

Originally Posted by Sadie's Mom

A mixture of dish soap and water will do the trick. Here's a link: http://thegardengossip.com/2007/04/0...ap-and-aphids/

Click to expand...

Thank you SO MUCH!! I'll try it

Originally Posted by Sadie's Mom

A mixture of dish soap and water will do the trick. Here's a link: http://thegardengossip.com/2007/04/0...ap-and-aphids/

Click to expand...

Dish soap is awesome at killing bug

you also can buy real lady bugs they will eat them.

Originally Posted by april31

you also can buy real lady bugs they will eat them.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip We released 2000 lady bugs last year as bug control and never saw them again but I may try again...it could help.

I thought that since I had posted such an awful, sad plant picture I would show you something NOT infested with aphids

This is my favorite garden spot...I have much larger gardens but this one is so tranquil....My Maidenhair Fern is unfurling and the huckleberry bush has just leafed out...I love Spring
(ignore the weeds...I haven't gotten to those yet )

It could be worth a try at least release them near the plant they should get full lol.

The dish soap is a great idea. Maybe even check out Jerry Baker's book "Backyard Problem Solving" from the library, it's full of natural pest and weed solutions.

PS: Hope over to the TCS sister forum www.verdantforums.co, we'd love to see more garden pics over there!

The dish soap/water mixture works!

Just plain water and wiping the leaves works, too, on small plants.

I hope you're able to get the bugs under control and they leave your plants alone.

Originally Posted by kittiesx2

Thanks for the tip

We released 2000 lady bugs last year as bug control and never saw them again but I may try again...it could help.

Click to expand...

There's some tricks to get ladybugs to stay put. If you release them when it's dark, they'll tend to dig in rather than flying off, I think they're blind in the dark and only fly around when it's bright out. You can also chill them and it'll make them look for shelter where they are rather than flying off to look for shelter, kind of tricks them into getting ready for hibernation. They also like water, so you can mist your garden before releasing them.

I don't know if it applies to all ladybugs, but the asian ladybugs that infest some parts of Michigan like rotting wood. You'll find swarms and swarms around old rotting wood, probably a good egg laying material.