Aphids Aphids everywhere

ispookie666

A few of my roses are covered in aphids, and I have been spraying them with the low-pressure sprayer (a few drops of dish soap and water).  The soap is effective, but I do not like what else might be there in the dish soap.    Is that a more gentle or safer soap which can be used for this?  
I have tried neem oil; they are not effective on aphids.  

-taff

One of the eco dish soaps?

twopenny

I used to use washing up liquid and water in a spray. Fine if the roses are small but I'd be each day all day on a ladder!
Encourage smalll birds (not by feeding them, nest boxes, undisturbed ddense shrubs) like blue tits and dunocks, sparrows to nest nearby. They can tidy a plant in a day and give you song 

Farway

twopenny said:

I used to use washing up liquid and water in a spray. Fine if the roses are small but I'd be each day all day on a ladder!
Encourage smalll birds (not by feeding them, nest boxes, undisturbed ddense shrubs) like blue tits and dunocks, sparrows to nest nearby. They can tidy a plant in a day and give you song 

Water will help in this, no need for a fancy pond, just water, ideally off the ground out of cat reach. Maybe a cheap bird bath
https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/nature-on-your-doorstep/garden-activities/make-the-perfect-bird-bath/

matty_bram

I'm here for tips too! Our honeysuckle is absolutely covered in the little critters!

twopenny

My cherry has been blighted for the 2nd year so badly the fruits are turning black. Thats a black bug.
The plum is greenfly.
If it's not hurting the plant don't sweat the small stuff.

However next year im going to try companion planting to try and draw the cherry bug away.

I'm afraid these long spells of heat allow the bugs to multiply massively. The birds go elsewhere to get out of the heat too it seems.

ArbitraryRandom

Has anyone tried buying ladybugs or similar? I'm thinking it would be most sensible in a greenhouse (where they can't just flit away) but boosting the local predator population seems like an organic option.  

ispookie666

There is enough ladybugs in my garden but the explosion of aphids is beyond belief.  I have reverted to alternate day spraying with soapy water.

matty_bram

ispookie666 said:

There is enough ladybugs in my garden but the explosion of aphids is beyond belief.  I have reverted to alternate day spraying with soapy water.

I think I will give this a go as well. Although I'm going to need a lot of soapy water and a very big spray bottle! 

Novice_investor101

My tomato plants were covered in black flies. I sprayed one with soapy water & then decided to brush them off the other plants with an old paintbrush. The soapy water killed the bugs without harming the plant. I might spray them all again at the weekend. I’ve not attended to them for two days & the black aphids are back in numbers 

Newbie_John

twopenny said:

My cherry has been blighted for the 2nd year so badly the fruits are turning black. Thats a black bug.
The plum is greenfly.
If it's not hurting the plant don't sweat the small stuff.

However next year im going to try companion planting to try and draw the cherry bug away.

I'm afraid these long spells of heat allow the bugs to multiply massively. The birds go elsewhere to get out of the heat too it seems.

For trees, buy some tree grease. These insects thrive because ants spread them and protect them, if you get rid of ants then killing aphids with soap or fingers should do the job - birds and lady birds will do the rest, otherwise they'll be there forever.
I've been doing that on apple tree, spruce and willow and works well.