Tips for dealing with aphids or other pests?

[globulon]

Hi, everyone!

I'm currently maintaining an indoor herb garden and I've been battling with aphids for a while now. My indoor plants consist primarily of basil and chives, and the basil in particular seems to host aphids like never before! I've tried some suggested home remedies, such as spraying the leaves of the plants with a dilute water/detergent solution. I've also tried some store-bought insecticides which work in the short-term but doesn't last.

I'm wondering if you guys had any tips or strategies for keeping the bugs away for the long-term? I'd greatly appreciate any advice. Thanks!

 

[Chuck]

Hi, everyone!

I'm currently maintaining an indoor herb garden and I've been battling with aphids for a while now. My indoor plants consist primarily of basil and chives, and the basil in particular seems to host aphids like never before! I've tried some suggested home remedies, such as spraying the leaves of the plants with a dilute water/detergent solution. I've also tried some store-bought insecticides which work in the short-term but doesn't last.

I'm wondering if you guys had any tips or strategies for keeping the bugs away for the long-term? I'd greatly appreciate any advice. Thanks!

Aphids can be difficult to eliminate if you are heavily infested with them. The secret is to break their reproduction cycle. They can reproduce weekly. Just killing the aphids is not enough, you have to destroy the eggs too. You must establish a regimen of spraying, just spraying once or twice will not work. You can kill the aphids easily with dishwashing soap or just a strong stream of water but it is the eggs that really matter. You must suffocate the eggs using dormant oils or other oils such as cottonseed oil or neem oil. When ever I have them move into my garden I spray the aphids first with Safer Soap and then with neem oil. I then spray neem oil every 6 days for 3 weeks making sure to completely cover the plant, the stem, both sides of the leaves everything. Always use neem in the early morning or late afternoon to prevent sunscald. At the first sign of an aphid use the soap and don't let them start reproducing

 

[Chuck]

Aphids can be difficult to eliminate if you are heavily infested with them. The secret is to break their reproduction cycle. They can reproduce weekly. Just killing the aphids is not enough, you have to destroy the eggs too. You must establish a regimen of spraying, just spraying once or twice will not work. You can kill the aphids easily with dishwashing soap or just a strong stream of water but it is the eggs that really matter. You must suffocate the eggs using dormant oils or other oils such as cottonseed oil or neem oil. When ever I have them move into my garden I spray the aphids first with Safer Soap and then with neem oil. I then spray neem oil every 6 days for 3 weeks making sure to completely cover the plant, the stem, both sides of the leaves everything. Always use neem in the early morning or late afternoon to prevent sunscald. At the first sign of an aphid use the soap and don't let them start reproducing

I forgot to mention that aphids only lay eggs in the fall and they hatch out in the spring, so now is the time to use the oil. The rest of the year the female bears live young, about 50 at a time and these babies will be able to reproduce within 2 weeks, again with about 50 more, so you can see how important it is to maintain a regimen of spraying every 6 days until they are gone.

 

[globulon]

Hi, Chuck. Thanks very much for your advice! I must admit I hardly even considered the eggs to be a good factor. I definitely will take your advice and apply oils after killing the aphids. In terms of plants that I would use for cooking and eating, do you find neem oil has any effect on taste or health? I'd imagine I'd have to wash the plants extremely vigorously to get rid of the oil.

Your advice is much appreciated!

 

[Chuck]

Hi, Chuck. Thanks very much for your advice! I must admit I hardly even considered the eggs to be a good factor. I definitely will take your advice and apply oils after killing the aphids. In terms of plants that I would use for cooking and eating, do you find neem oil has any effect on taste or health? I'd imagine I'd have to wash the plants extremely vigorously to get rid of the oil.

Your advice is much appreciated!

Neem is totally organic and a light rinse will remove any residue easily even up to day of harvest application. I have never been able to taste it. If it rains you have to respray. Some folks use horticultural oil instead of neem or cottonseed but I can't see the advantage of having different products for treatment when neem is a pesticide, fungicide and oil all rolled into one product. Neem even works on scale insects

 

[globulon]

Neem is totally organic and a light rinse will remove any residue easily even up to day of harvest application. I have never been able to taste it. If it rains you have to respray. Some folks use horticultural oil instead of neem or cottonseed but I can't see the advantage of having different products for treatment when neem is a pesticide, fungicide and oil all rolled into one product. Neem even works on scale insects

Great, thank you very much again for your recommendation. Neem oil indeed sounds like what I'm looking for and its good to hear that it can be easily washed off with a simple rinse!