How to get rid of aphids - folk remedies and at home

Aphids are considered one of the most vicious pests of gardens and vegetable gardens. It is very difficult to deal with it, since this pest multiplies at an amazing speed. A single female produces three generations of several hundred thousand individuals per month.

The ubiquitous aphid quickly weakens young plants by sucking out their cell sap. At the same time, it secretes poison, due to which the leaves curl, deform and die off. Aphids can also infect plants with harmful viruses, which can lead to extensive damage and plant death.

Various types of aphids damage vegetable, fruit, berry and flower crops. Often, gardeners do not know how to heal already diseased plants and not poison the crop with insecticides.

general information

In nature, there are at least 450 species of aphids, but in our area the green, black, cotton and gelichris aphids are most rampant. Green prefers to suck sap from fruit trees, berry bushes and garden flowers. Black does the same mostly on legumes. Its relative, the cotton aphid, infects cucumbers, melons, watermelons, squash and pumpkin. Gelichrite aphids prefer to destroy stone fruit trees, red clover plantations and beets.

Aphids can be safely called an ubiquitous parasite. She lays eggs anywhere, and they calmly wait in the wings in any conditions. The larvae are no less tenacious. They live underground, under the bark of trees and, of course, in open places. The age of the aphid butterfly is short-lived - at most two weeks, but each female during this time manages to lay up to 150 eggs.

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Testimonials

Natalia: Aphids just attacked my roses! Everything I tried, it seemed, nothing will help get rid of this muck! As a result, I found a remedy - milk with iodine helped!
Vania: Delighted with soda and vinegar solutions. I use one or the other, according to my mood, and both help perfectly.
Sveta: I advise everyone to use ammonia. But soda somehow did not help much in my case.

What is the danger

Feeding on plant sap, aphids release harmful substances, if not poisonous. Under their influence, the leaves first weaken. They curl into tubes, wither, fall off. With a large accumulation of parasites on a tree or bush, the growth of young shoots stops. The affected plant weakens and is no longer able to fight the viral infection. Typically, fungal diseases are the consequences of exposure to aphids.

One colony of aphids over the summer can create another 50 new colonies, so this insect is prolific. Is it any wonder that these tiny insects are capable of destroying not individual trees, but entire gardens or vegetable gardens. Try to get rid of aphids as quickly as possible, otherwise it will rob you of your crop.

Reasons for the appearance

Sometimes it seems that aphids have materialized on plants literally out of thin air. In fact, there are several options for infection:

Migration of winged individuals born in a colony during overpopulation. They can fly to your landing, for example, from a neighboring area.
The activity of ants, which in the literal sense of the word are carriers of aphids. Garden workers create a symbiosis that is beneficial to both of them. Aphids, in the process of feeding, release a sweet nutritious liquid - honeydew, which the ants eat. The ants, in turn, protect the aphids from the attacks of other insects and transfer them from one plant to another. Neither give nor take farmers who drive their cows to pasture! Aphids, in fact, are for ants a kind of analogue of cows, which are not only milked, but also taken care of. Even in winter, so that the "domestic cattle" does not die, it is brought into the anthill. And already in the spring - they are taken out and planted on nutritious plants in order to grow and "milk" again. So if you have ants on your property, there will almost certainly be aphids. And you will have to destroy not only the direct pest, but also the insect vectors.
On the backyard, aphids can appear in the spring - from eggs that survived the winter in the ground and fallen leaves.
On indoor flowers, infection often occurs after transplantation into soil contaminated with eggs.

Aphids are usually carried by garden workers - ants

Where are the first effects of aphids visible

Aphid larvae feed on plant sap, and for this they need to pierce the leaf shell. The easiest way to do this is on flowers or young leaves. This is where the first signs of aphid exposure appear. This suggests that young shoots and flowers need to be protected from aphids first of all.

Black ants move the larvae from place to place. They feed on the waste products of the larvae, therefore they are protected in every possible way. Black ants carefully transfer the larvae to young leaves and even to neighboring plants. Surprisingly, for the winter they bring aphid larvae into their anthills, and with the arrival of spring they carry them around the garden. Know that if black ants have appeared in your garden, it means that aphid larvae have appeared. You need to fight black ants as mercilessly as with the aphids itself.

Signs of plant damage by aphids

As already mentioned, aphids are very small in size and prefers to be on the back of the leaves, so it is not always possible to notice these insects in a timely manner.

However, there are a number of signs that indicate their presence:

Presence of small white waste, which is old skin discarded by aphids.
The presence of a sticky liquid on leaves or buds is a specific secret secreted by pests.
Lack of fruit development or opening of existing buds.
Foliage underdevelopment, they have a bad appearance and curl inward.

Enemies of aphids - friends of the gardener

Aphids have numerous enemies. This is a number of insects that eat it, birds and fragrant plants. As for the birds, on the one hand, they help us fight aphids, but, on the other hand, they peck at the leaves and flowers of plants. Of the insects, the most fierce enemy of aphids is the cute ladybugs. They are able to eat a huge number of aphid larvae.

Fragrant plants do not destroy aphids, but only expel or do not allow them to reach the trees and bushes of the garden. What plants are aphids afraid of? This can be garlic, dill, mint, onion, lovage, or any other plant with a pungent odor. They can be planted next to vegetable beds. This will protect carrots from aphids, for example.

What types of aphids are

This pest can be easily identified by these features:

Soft and translucent body without chitinous cover;
The color of the aphid depends entirely on the plant on which it parasitizes, therefore there are insects of a black, green or white shade;
The size of aphids does not exceed 2 mm;
The shape of the insect's body directly depends on the type of insect;
The body of each of the insects is decorated with a soft short down, and minor asymmetric tubercles perfectly complement the appearance of each individual;
Some insects have wings;
Due to the presence of thin and long legs, aphids can crawl or jump, and small antennae are organs of touch;
Often, aphids do not differ in pronounced sexual characteristics, but there are some specimens that have received the gene responsible for such a mutation. Thanks to her, you can accurately determine the female or the male is in front of the student.

For the winter, the aphid lays eggs, from which new individuals hatch in the spring. It is not essential for these insects to parasitize on young seedlings, seedlings or trees. Scientists identify the following types of aphids:

green, often on seedling sprouts,
white, affecting indoor plants,
black or universal,
floral, so named for habitat preference.

Are all fighting methods good?

The answer to this question is unequivocal - no, not all methods are good. The bad method, unfortunately, is the most effective one. It is about treating garden trees with chemicals. Some of them are capable of destroying giant aphid colonies in two hours. Alas, the side effect of this is quite unfortunate. These substances simply poison all living things. From a small number of them, weak organisms die, and the strong ones under their influence weaken and cannot resist viral infections.

Treating gardens with chemicals is a last resort. They are sprayed on trees when they are already under threat of death. The fight against aphids in an advanced stage is carried out with chemicals, but if you want to do without chemicals, carry out preventive work from early spring.

What are the good methods? Fortunately, there are even two of them. These are folk remedies for combating aphids and biologically active preparations.

What is dangerous for aphids, description of the pest

The aphid is a miniature insect that grows up to 0.5-2mm in length in adulthood. The body of the parasite has an ovoid shape, if you press on it, it will immediately be crushed. This insect can be of different types. They all differ in external data.

Fruit trees, ornamental plants (rose, chrysanthemum) are often attacked by green aphids, black aphids settle on legumes and cornflowers. There are also melons, cotton, apple, tobacco, viburnum, currant aphids.

Parasites can have wings. Those that move on the ground are mainly carried by ants. Fertility is characteristic of aphids, the insect actively reproduces. Once every 14 days, a new generation is born (there are 150 of them). In this regard, difficulties can arise during pest control.

The parasite bears the greatest danger during the period when it sucks out cell sap from all parts of plants. Thus, it deprives the plant of important substances. As a result, it begins to fade, and with a massive attack it dies altogether. Leaves and tops become deformed, shoots stop growing.

The insect can inflict great damage on immature plants. The substance that it secretes covers the leaf, disrupting the process of photosynthesis. The insect acts as a carrier of bacteria, viruses and fungi that cause disease. Basically, plant lice are attracted by unkempt areas, soils oversaturated with nitrogen or those that lack phosphorus.

Signs that aphids have started up on the site are as follows:

a sticky coating (pad) is found on the back of the leaves;
white scales are formed under the plant (discarded shells of the parasite);
around the planting you can observe an abundant accumulation of ants.
leaves curl and turn yellow;
the buds are deformed and not fully developed.

Fact! Aphids are carried by garden ants.The parasite secretes a sticky, sweet substance that these hardworking insects enjoy. If the nests are not eliminated, all efforts to control aphids will be ineffective.

As soon as the uninvited guests were found on the site, you need to immediately begin to exterminate them. The most effective way is considered to be the use of insecticides. Due to the fact that these drugs are considered hazardous to human health, it is highly discouraged to process vegetables and herbs with them. This method is often resorted to by unscrupulous summer residents who grow crops for the purpose of its further implementation. Your task is to grow organic products without chemicals. In this case, you need to study gentle methods that are based on the use of folk remedies.

Biologically active drugs

These funds have a systemic, rather than contact, effect on aphids. They do not contain toxic substances. Biologics are a concentrate that contains a huge number of beneficial microorganisms in a dormant state. A solution from these concentrates is watered or sprayed on trees. Microorganisms penetrate into plants and poison the larvae of aphids with the products of their vital activity. They do not bring any harm to the plant.

They can be used at any stage of plant development, including flowering and fruiting. The best drugs for systemic effects today are Akarin, Fitoverm, Entobacterion, Tanrek, Iskra and Actor. These remedies are not as powerful as chemical ones, but they are quite effective. Their effect on aphids lasts 20 days.

Additional recommendations

To protect your summer cottage from aphids, the following tips will help:

You need to get rid of weeds regularly. Loose soil is not suitable for ants, and they always settle near aphids.
It is advisable to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilization. Nitrogen imparts sweetness to the plant sap, which attracts insects. It is better to completely abandon nitrogen fertilizers in the summer.
It is necessary to fertilize the soil with ash. It contains potassium, which strengthens the cell walls of plants. This makes it harder for aphids to bite through the foliage.
Water the garden and vegetable garden frequently. Parasites do not like high humidity.
Control the acidity of the soil. The amount of beneficial elements that are absorbed into the stems of plants depends on the soil.

It is important to start the fight against aphids in time at the summer cottage. It is worth regularly examining the plants for prevention and at the first suspicion of pests, use one of the proposed effective methods.

How to deal with aphids with folk remedies?

Soap solution. A solution of household or liquid soap is used to spray plants against aphids. The disastrous effect of this remedy is that it pastes over the parasites and they simply suffocate without air.
A decoction of wood ash is also a fertilizer. The product enriches the soil with potassium.

Birch tar is also used against aphids. This method does not do any harm to the garden and people, but it fights the pest perfectly. How does tar protect the garden from aphids? Gardeners use it primarily as a preventive measure. Birch tar cannot kill insects, but its pungent smell is a great deterrent to pests.

Moreover, tar saves not only from aphids, but also from her "shepherds" and protectors - black ants. Is there an anthill on your site? If so, then it’s not surprising that you are tortured by aphids. Ants take care of her and breed, because they then "milk" her.

For a long time, gardeners and gardeners have used herbal infusions and decoctions in the fight against aphids. However, they can be used with some caution, since they can harm the plant. If for the first time in your garden you are going to apply a herbal infusion or decoction, then test it on one branch of a tree or bush.If in a day nothing bad happens to the branch, then this remedy is suitable for the plant.

Fruit trees and berries can be treated with herbal infusions and decoctions before and after flowering, but no later than two weeks before the start of fruit collection. After harvesting, spraying can be safely repeated.

Vegetables are processed with these means no later than a month before the start of the harvest.

How to get rid of aphids on roses

For rose bushes, aphids are a real disaster. You can save a plant from pests in different ways, which include:

removal of damaged or diseased plant parts,
wash the leaves monthly with soapy water,
feeding roses so that the bushes are strong and healthy,
carry out the treatment with ammonia.

It is suitable not only for aphids, but also for other pests on roses and other plants. You just need to make a not very concentrated soap solution and treat the rose garden with it. It will need to be processed this way for at least fifteen days. Moreover, the soap solution lingers better on roses after sunset.

Herbal decoctions

Cooking infusions is a troublesome business, but you should not be lazy in the struggle for a rich environmentally friendly harvest. What kind of herbal decoctions do gardeners prepare?

Infusion of onions (taken with the husk) is the most famous folk remedy for aphids and ants.
Garlic, coniferous, pepper extract.
Tobacco infusion (a special mixture is sold for its preparation in the flower departments, you can also use the tobacco plant).
Chamomile or marigold infusion.
Dandelion infusion is used for spraying.
Infusion of horse sorrel. Only the roots of this plant can be used to prepare the product.
Infusion of zest of lemons, tangerines. Seasoned summer residents have been storing orange peels since winter.
Infusion of potato or tomato tops is a long-standing folk method of fighting aphids.
Yarrow decoction.

How else to get rid of aphids with ecological folk remedies? Infusions and decoctions of wild rose berries, wormwood, tansy and rhubarb are also good in the fight against the pest. The herb, indispensable for aphids, was celandine. Experienced summer residents collect this plant, dry it in order to boil celandine in case of aphids.

Potato tops against aphids

For the destruction of aphids, plants are suitable that are able to scare them away. These include: chamomile, marigolds, tansy, yarrow, celandine, wormwood, onions, red peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, horse sorrel.

On the basis of plant crops, you can make decoctions for spraying and plant them in the vicinity of plantings that are prone to aphid attack.

In order not to attract parasites, you can prepare an infusion of potato tops: pour 1 kg of fresh chopped raw materials with a bucket of water, strain after 3 hours.

Features of working with various plants

Almost all chemicals and insecticides are prepared according to the instructions - for each plant, the concentration, consumption and irrigation rate for treatment are selected. In order not to affect the plant destructively, it is important to observe the spraying norms.

Dill

You can quickly and effectively process dill with infusions and solutions. Combinations such as onion infusion with garlic are suitable for herbs. Also, it will not be harmful to treat the plant with tobacco solution and chamomile (flower) to scare away and protect against aphids.

Roses

Roses and other flower-ornamental plants become an excellent bait for parasites. Insects are susceptible to pesticide baiting:

Neem is an organic pesticide.Affects larvae, insect eggs.
Chemical insecticides help kill individuals.

Inorganic compounds are best used for severe damage, as they harm the environment.

Pepper

Pepper chemicals are selected strictly according to the instructions. Do not use tobacco, flower solutions and inorganic chemicals. It is best to exterminate aphids using folk methods and proven powders and granules. Solutions should be made only in ampoules, where the concentrate is higher, and the amount of the active substance can be varied.

Cucumbers and tomatoes

If aphids on tomato and cucumber seedlings appeared not so long ago, they are treated with actara. With onion tincture and ammonia, you can process the leaves from the bottom, where the insect usually lives.

Cabbage

For processing zucchini and cabbage, a chemical of 3-4 hazard class is suitable. It is harmless to humans and has a short decay time. Affects insect larvae and adults. Insecticides are applied only around the fruit, as the parasites can live inside.

Why does aphid appear

Plant sap is the main food source that insects need for their life and development. Its pests suck out, piercing the skin of plants with their proboscis. Moreover, aphids give preference to the youngest parts of plants, settling on the tops of trees, the underside of leaves, on seedlings.

Most often, garden aphids appear in abandoned areas, as well as on soils with an excess of nitrogen or a lack of phosphorus. If you do not poison the aphids, then it will certainly end up on the bushes of the neighboring area.

Ants are another reason for the spread of the pest. They are attracted by the sweet syrup that aphids release during their vital activity. For this purpose, the goose bumps are transferring their "milking cows" to new territories. Therefore, having found ants in a summer cottage, it is necessary to pay attention to plants growing near them for infection with aphids.

On a note!
It will not be possible to defeat aphids in the garden if you do not exterminate the anthills on the site.