How can I get rid of small insects like aphids from my plants , naturally?
Answers:
I like Sam's answer, fight bugs with bugs. And the bit about soapy water is great too. DE (Lowe's carries it) is effective, Neem oil (also natural), corn gluten meal, and BT are all great options for a natural approach.
But with aphids, I find that I have to re-apply regularly.
So what I've done (as a smoker) is to take a handful of cigarette butts, add hot water and soak for a day. Then I strain out the butts, add about 2T of dishsoap (for a surfactant) and a couple of tablespoons of Epsom Salts.
Put this lovely concoction in a spray bottle, and go to town on those little suckers!
If you have ants in your yard, you will want to be rid of them also, as they maintain aphid colonies to "milk" and feed themselves....it will be a never ending cycle if you allow the one and not the other.
Here is a link that may help you, especially if you have no access to nicotene...lol
Other answers:
Spritz it with dish soap and water.
Leverl 6!!!!!! Yea!
Spritz it with dish soap and water.
Leverl 6!!!!!! Yea!
Ladybugs ... they are cute and eat other pests ... you can order them online or check with any large lawn center.
Fight bugs ..... with bugs!
For difficult infestations, and with a plant that can be easily replaced, the easiest and fastest way is to kill the plant. But assuming you want to keep it, spraying the plant with a little (LITTLE) dish soap mixed in water would do the trick. Alternatively, if it's just aphids, sometimes you can dip a Q-Tip in a little alcohol and dab each one off. Often times, however, aphids are a symptom of other kinds of infestation as well. If you have little flies on the plant or spider mites (look for little webs) then you really should use a commercial systemic insecticide. In fact, I recommend that regardless - these products have been designed specifically to address these sorts of problems.
"Garlic water" works on some bugs......spray it on.
Answer number one has it. My grandmother used dilluted, mild detergent many more years ago than anyone here was alive.
It will not hurt the plant, will wash away naturally, will have little if any pollutant effects, and does actually work,,,"Naturally"
Rev. Steven
soapy water
burn wood and then mix the ash with water and sprinkle on the plants
Give them a shower with a little soapy water such as dish soap or try planting garlic around them.
soapy water, put it in a sprayer and spray.
Use mild mixture of cayenne pepper and water mixed with a little dish soap and spray away!
I have just read that marigolds attract hoverflies which eat aphids- so I'm trying to plant them along with my veggies garden and in my other gardens as well... Im keeping my fingers crossed :)