How to kill Aphids

The infamous little aphids. How to kill Aphids is actual quite easy.

How to kill Aphids. The infernal aphid, every gardeners worst nightmare. Not only do this little vampires suck your flowers and plants dry but they also multiply like crazy. Lets find a way to fight them.

Things You'll Need

• Soap
• Water
• Inspection
• pesticide (maybe)
• various aphid predators

Instructions

1. So you have your plant that you suspect may be infested with aphids. Look closely on the stem and the under side of the leaves. Look closely and if you see what resembles greenish rice like specks, you have aphids. Aphids also vary in color and can be anywhere from white, green and brown. Aphids cause so much damage due to how and what they feed on and how they reproduce. An aphid can reproduce quickly by a process similar to cloning and all come out and suck the sap through piercing mouth parts.

2. Ok so you have identified your problem. Now first step, spray the plant with water. Not an all out attack on the aphids, just a spray heavy enough to dislodge them. This will be your first step.

3. Don't over fertilize the plant. Aphids like to feed on fresh shoots that come about as a result of over fertilizing. These are the first steps that lead to aphid control. But aphid problems could persist, such as a thing called sooty mold. This mold comes about as a result of excessive honeydew production, which is what an aphid excretes.

4. Now take some soap to the aphids. Take a container and add to it two parts water too one part of dish soap. Then take this mixture and spray the aphids, this should take care of them for the moment.
   Alas if this dosen't work you may have to move up to actual pesticides. Many aphid pesticides are contact insecticides, which means if you have one make sure it comes in actually contact with the aphids body. These insecticides work by dehydrating the body of the aphid.

5. So on to the insecticides, what we are trying to accomplish is the killing of as few innocent bystanders (beneficial insects) as possible. You may want to look into what are called summer oils, but you must be careful besides killing aphids they could also injure sensitive plants read all labels carefully. Insecticidal soaps can also be used against aphids also. If you must resort to the big boys use malathion, Dursban (chlorpyrifos), and Orthene (acephate). For no reason or purpose will you use Sevin to rid yourself of aphids. Why? This does not actually killing aphids, but instead the beneficial insects that feed on them. These products can be found by using a quick search on the internet to view a garden center site or an actual garden center.

6. You can also try another home remedy for killing aphids. Take 1 cup of vegetable oil (or mineral oil), 1 and 1/2 cup water, and 2 teaspoons of dish soap and combine. Spray these onto the aphids and apply for several days. This spray is designed to suffocate aphids, thus getting rid of them.

7. Now you have the aphids at least under the control with a preemptive strike you have to keep them that way. Learn what a lady bug and its larvae look like as well as what a lacewing and its larvae look like. These insects if not found in abundance in your area, can be found online as well. By introducing them into your garden you will be able to keep the aphids under control for many days to come.

Tips & Warnings

• Try attracting not only ladybugs, but also lace wings and other natural predators of the aphid.

• If you use pesticides remember, not only do you kill aphids you also kill beneficial insects as well. Use with caution, and remember different states have different laws on what you can use.