Natural Ways to Control Aphids
Aphids may be little in size, but are a big problem. Here are a couple ways to control aphids naturally.
Those little green bugs congregating on your plants aren’t just there for an afternoon insect party, they’re there to wreak havoc on your precious plantings. Aphids like to suck the juice out of your plants the same way the Sanderson Sisters liked to suck the lives out of children in Hocus Pocus (sorry, I know it’s not Halloween yet, but Halloween is always on my mind). Aphids can also spread diseases as they travel from one plant to another. So what should you do if you see a moving of mass of tiny green bodies lumped together on your veggies?
One solution is to create your own homemade “bug spray” of sorts, but unlike store bought varieties, this one doesn’t contain nasty, non-pronounceable chemicals. You can make it by mixing equal amounts of dish soap and water together, with a few tablespoons of canola oil thrown in for good measure. Spray this on your plants to discourage aphids (it also helps keep away stink bugs who enjoy sucking the juice out of pumpkin vines)
The other method is to find yourself some ladybugs. Ladybugs are some of nature’s prettiest insect predators. Those innocent-looking red and white (or sometimes pink and white) spotted beauties devour aphids like they’re going out of style. You can often purchase ladybugs at garden stores for this very purpose. (Just avoid the brown, Asian ladybugs. They’re invasive, secrete smelly liquid, and bite like the dickens!)
Copyright © Amber Reifsteck ~ The Woodland Elf
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