Everyone knows it and has been bothered by it - the aphid spreads to garden plants such as roses as soon as it gets warmer, but sometimes also attacks houseplants. You can see them juicy green before your eyes, ready to take action against them with home remedies at the slightest sign of an infestation. But then you suddenly see black lice on the plants! What now? Is this the same pest or do you need to control black aphids in a different way?
What kind of pests are these?
Yes, it is an aphid and more precisely the so-called black bean aphid. But don't let the name confuse you, because this annoying louse also attacks other plants and prefers the young and tender parts of the plant - shoot tips or buds, for example. They can usually be seen on the plant long before the first symptoms of the disease appear because they do not take long to multiply in large numbers. But at the latest when misshapen new leaves or shoots orsticky leavesnotice, you should take a closer look at the affected plant. Because this may mean that you have to fight the black aphids.
Have you ever seen yellow lice? What you can do about themfind out here.
Fighting black aphids – what helps?
Normally nature manages to fight against such evildoers through beneficial organisms. But there are not always enough helpers available and the weather makes it even easier for pests to multiply. Then we have to intervene ourselves and help ourselves with home remedies. By using natural remedies, you also avoid harming the already few beneficial insects. What helps against black aphids? In order for home remedies to really have an effect, a slight infestation is required. Therefore, it is always beneficial to check your plants regularly before things get out of hand.
Make sure you have enough natural enemies
If the number of beneficial insects in your garden is not sufficient, you can help. Larvae of ladybirds and the eggs of parasitic wasps can be purchased commercially and can be used specifically as a remedy against aphids. Keep in mind that using it outdoors might be a little less effective than indoors, for example. Get advice on how exactly to remove the natural enemies.
What else can you do against black aphids?
Fight black aphids with home remedies – the universal remedy “soap”
One of the best-known home remedies for aphids is soap. And it is also effective against black bean louse. How practical! You are welcome to prepare a larger quantity at the same time to prevent infestation even on plants that are not yet affected by taking twice the quantity of the following recipe:
- 3.5L water
- 100 g soft soap
Mix everything together until the soap dissolves. You can then spray the home remedy against black aphids directly onto the plants. It is important that you repeat this several times a day to remove the lice.
Nettle spray against lice on flowers
With nettles you can not only remove a number of pests, including black lice on flowers. A decoction made from this medicinal plant also supplies your flowers with nutrients.How to prepare it, we now explain:
- 3 liters of water
- 300 g nettles (preferably freshly picked)
You can first boil the water and then mix it with the nettles in a bucket so that you can use the decoction immediately after it has cooled down. Or you can use cold water, but this means that the whole thing has to be covered (with a net or something similar) and away from direct sun for a few days. Either way, you will be amazed by its effectiveness! After straining the manure, put it in a spray bottle. It is not used quite as often as with soft soap. Twice a day (for example in the morning before the heat and in the evening when the sun is lower) is sufficient.
Remove lice from plants with neem oil
This miracle oil is suitable for both prevention and for combating acute infestations once you have noticed small black aphids. A few drops of the oil are enough. Dilute this in the water used to water the plants. This is how the agent gets into the plant and makes it less palatable to the lice. If you want to combat black aphids that are already present, you can spray the plants directly with the same water.
A notice:Before you start using homemade sprays, you can also rinse the plants with the stream of water from the garden hose to flush a large portion of the pests from the plants.
You can find out how you can use black tea against aphids and a few other remediesin this article.
