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Aphids Aphids everywhere

ispookie666
ispookie666 Posts: 1,194 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
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.  
“Don't raise your voice, improve your argument." - Desmond Tutu

System 1 - 14 x 250W SunModule SW + Enphase ME215 microinverters (July 2015)
System 2 - 9.2 KWp + Enphase IQ7+ and IQ8AC (Feb 22 & Sep 24) + Givenergy AC Coupled inverter + 2 * 8.2KWh Battery (May 2022) + Mitsubishi 7.1 KW and 2* Daikin 2.5 KW A2A Heat Pump
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Comments

  • -taff
    -taff Posts: 15,072 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    One of the eco dish soaps?
    Non me fac calcitrare tuum culi
  • twopenny
    twopenny Posts: 6,862 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    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  :)

    I can rise and shine - just not at the same time!

    viral kindness .....kindness is contageous pass it on

    The only normal people you know are the ones you don’t know very well


  • Farway
    Farway Posts: 14,175 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Homepage Hero Name Dropper
    edited 6 June 2023 pm30 12:51PM
    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/

    Eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cats preferred other peoples gardens
  • I'm here for tips too! Our honeysuckle is absolutely covered in the little critters!
  • twopenny
    twopenny Posts: 6,862 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    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.

    I can rise and shine - just not at the same time!

    viral kindness .....kindness is contageous pass it on

    The only normal people you know are the ones you don’t know very well


  • 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.  
    I'm not an early bird or a night owl; I’m some form of permanently exhausted pigeon.
  • ispookie666
    ispookie666 Posts: 1,194 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    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.
    “Don't raise your voice, improve your argument." - Desmond Tutu

    System 1 - 14 x 250W SunModule SW + Enphase ME215 microinverters (July 2015)
    System 2 - 9.2 KWp + Enphase IQ7+ and IQ8AC (Feb 22 & Sep 24) + Givenergy AC Coupled inverter + 2 * 8.2KWh Battery (May 2022) + Mitsubishi 7.1 KW and 2* Daikin 2.5 KW A2A Heat Pump
  • matty_bram
    matty_bram Posts: 21 Forumite
    10 Posts
    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! 
  • 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 
  • 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.
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