How to Get Rid of Aphids Naturally

Aphids, those tiny, pear-shaped, sap-sucking pests, appear every spring to feast on your plants' tender new leaves. Not to fear; you don't have to resort to toxic chemicals to save your garden.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Dishwashing Detergent
• Spray Bottles
• Fertilizers
• Garden Hoses And Attachments
• Lacewings
• Ladybugs
• Pruning Shears
• Sticky Traps
• Vegetable Oils

1. Examine your garden regularly for signs of aphids. Look for clusters of the little bugs on new growth and flower buds, as well as on the curled and twisted leaves.
2. Remove the aphids by hand (wearing gloves) or using a sharp stream of water.
3. Cut away and dispose of infested foliage.
4. Capture flying aphids by placing yellow sticky traps near infected plants.
5. Make a nontoxic pesticide by mixing 1 c. vegetable oil with 1 tbsp. liquid dishwashing soap. Add 1 1/2 tsp. solution per cup of warm water to a handheld spray bottle.
6. Hit the aphids directly with above mixture and spray entire plant thoroughly.
7. Introduce beneficial insects, such as ladybugs or green lacewings, to your garden to feed on the aphids. Both can be bought from any garden store or online.
8. Avoid planting aphid-attracting plants, such as birch trees, and instead grow plants such as white sweet clover, spearmint, sweet fennel and Queen Anne's lace, which attract and house the lacewings, ladybugs and other insects that feed on aphids.
9. Rid your garden of ants. Ants love to eat "honeydew," the sugary sap secreted by aphids, and will keep the aphids alive by fending off predators and carrying the sap makers to other plants.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your plants healthy. Your garden's best defense against any pest is nutrient-rich, living soil and adequate water and light.
• Fertilize sparingly, using slow-release organic fertilizer to ensure steady, not explosive growth. Too many new shoots will not only tax the plant, but may attract more aphids to the succulent leaves.

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