Anyone who has a garden will sooner or later encounter aphids. These small pests are particularly common on roses, but also attack other plants. And who hisGarden free of pollutantsIf you want to keep and therefore do without chemical agents against aphids, you are undoubtedly facing a major challenge. Because the plague can prove to be quite resilient. Would you also like to use home remedies against aphids? We will explain to you how you can fight aphids naturally.
Fight aphids through prevention
The best way to combat aphids is to prevent them from infesting your plants in the first place. If you have already noticed an infestation, go straight to our ideas for aphid control. There the animalsin winterare not represented, you have the opportunity again in spring to take preventative measures - fight aphids without having to fight them, so to speak. What can you do?
- Strengthen your plants with fertilizer!The weaker your garden plants are, the easier it is for aphids. Flower-rich ornamental shrubs such as hibiscus or roses in particular need a lot of strength to be able to develop their floral splendor. Fertilizer is therefore important to provide the plants with all the nutrients they need. You should not administer too much nitrogen. It makes the plant tissue softer and therefore more accessible to pests. Be sure to consider the needs of each plant and choose onesuitable fertilizer. You should also pay attention to the pH value of the soil.
- Clean plant trunks– Just because you don't see the annoying lice in winter doesn't mean that they have completely disappeared on their own. They lay their eggs well hidden in the wood (especially in the bark) in order to attack again the next year. A white coat makes sense if you want to combat aphids. However, you should brush the trunks well beforehand.
- Oil against aphidsInsert - If you spray the stems with oil, it will form a film over the eggs. The oxygen supply is disrupted and the eggs laid cannot survive the winter. This will prevent a new generation of aphids.
- Mixed cultures– Just as pests prefer certain plants, there are also those that they don’t like at all. So if you combine the favorites with those in the bed, they can have a deterrent effect on the pests. Suitable herbs include: savory, lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme and hyssop. When choosing, please note that theMixed cultures similar conditionsmust have location and care.
Make your own remedies against aphids – effective home remedies
Overall, there are a number of home remedies you can use to combat aphids. And since they are so diverse, you are guaranteed to have the necessary ingredients at home for at least one of our recipes and ideas. What helps against aphids? Let's start with a true all-rounder for home and garden:
Vinegar against aphids
Would you like to combat aphids withHome remedy is vinegara great choice. You always have it at home and can use it as soon as you notice the first aphids. However, you should only use it to treat aphids on roses. Since it is a relatively aggressive liquid, prepare a solution with water. To do this, mix half a liter of brandy vinegar with 4.5 liters of water. Note:
- Young shoots are more sensitive. Therefore, reduce the amount of vinegar in the solution by half.
- Depending on how badly the roses are already affected, further treatment may be necessary. However, this should only take place three days after the first.
Fight aphids with the home remedy dishwashing liquid
Dishwashing liquid as a meansMost people probably know this against aphids. But do you know why it is so effective? On the one hand, it forms a film through which the aphids suffocate, and on the other hand, the surface on the plants becomes so slippery that the aphid cannot climb up. Use only on ornamental plants such as roses and oleanders. Mix 5 ml with 500 ml of water and then spray the solution onto the plants using a spray bottle. After a few days you can repeat the process if necessary.
Fight aphids with milk
Lactic acid is your helper in the fight against annoying aphids. The acid attacks the louse bodies, causing them to die. Therefore, milk is a wonderful home remedy. If you want to fight aphids with milk, you must dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:2.
Lavender against aphids
Since we have already mentioned that the aphidnot a fan of lavenderIt won't surprise you that you can also use it to combat existing aphids. You can use lavender in different ways for this purpose. One option would be to pour boiling water over dried flowers. Two handfuls per liter of water should be enough. Let this mixture steep for about an hour, then strain the resulting decoction, pour it into a spray bottle and spray the plants with it.
Or how about using lavender oil against aphids? To do this, add 10 drops of the oil and a small drop of dishwashing liquid to a liter of water. The water should ideally be free of limescale (e.g. rainwater). Shake everything well and spray the plants with it:
- preventivefrom April to August every 1 to 2 weeks
- in case of severe infestationevery 2 to 3 days (in addition, you can cut off and dispose of the severely infected shoots)
Recipe with garlic
In some cases, even a single clove of garlic can work wonders. If it is still a light infestation, it is enough to peel a clove and stick it in the ground right on the trunk. Thanks to its essential oils, the garlic then gives off a scent that the lice don't particularly like.
Alternatively, if the infestation is a little more severe, garlic can also be combined with water to combat aphids. Simply prepare a garlic decoction against aphids by mixing threePeel garlic cloves, chop roughly and then mix with a liter of water in a sealable jar. This mixture must now steep for 2 weeks. Pour the finished brew into a spray bottle to spray the undersides of the leaves and the bases of the stems.
Fight aphids with onions
Instead of garlic, you can also use onions, which are particularly suitable for roses. But how do you fight aphids with them? Dice the onion and boil it in a liter of water. Then let everything simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes. Letthe onion broth obtainedthen cool, after which you can strain the liquid and use it undiluted to fight aphids.
Decoction of nettles
And while we’re on the subject of “suds”. Stinging nettles are also very effective. So if you want to fight aphids and use home remedies for this purpose, take a walk andcollect nettles. The advantage of this product is that it is suitable for both your ornamental plants and can be used on crops. Pour fresh water over half a bucket of nettles. Then place the bucket in a shady and not too warm place, where you let everything rest for 48 hours. Then spray the undiluted broth onto the affected plants. It's not just the scent that drives away pests, but also other compounds contained in the plant.
Neem oil
Neem oil is also considered a true miracle cure for aphids. Use the natural remedy in a variety of ways if you want to combat aphids, depending on whether the plants are already heavily infested or you want to take preventive measures:
- If the infestation is severe, a splash of the oil directly onto the affected area helps. It is best to do this in the morning and not during the hot midday hours to avoid burns on the leaves.
- As a preventive measure, you can add a few drops of neem oil to the water. A practical bonus: weak or sickly plants receive a boost in strength.
Other suitable means:
- Dried decoctionOregano: 10 g to 1 liter of boiled water, filter and dilute with water in a ratio of 1:3
- Black teathanks to tannins: 2 tea bagsBlack teaBring to the boil in 500 ml of water, steep for 15 minutes and then let cool
- Potato waterfor light infestation: undiluted, can be repeated after a few days
- Rhabarberblatt- Broth for black bean louse: Boil 500 g leaves in 3 liters of water, simmer for 30 minutes, strain the liquid and let it cool
- rapeseed oilonly test on insensitive plants and on a small area of the plant beforehand! Mix 90 ml of rapeseed oil and 5 liters of water with a drop of dishwashing liquid (as an emulsifier), stir vigorously and apply to the affected areas with a plant sprayer, repeat if necessary after a week
Aphid control with the help of insects and beneficial insects
Insects are also great helpers when it comes to combating aphid infestations. But how do I fight aphids with the help of beneficial insects and other insects or which ones are suitable for this?Antslove aphids and you have probably noticed the rush of ants on infested plants. However, you cannotwith antsFight aphids. They are so crazy about their sweet excretions that they don't eat them directly, but instead use them like farm animals and milk them and even protect them from other enemies like ladybugs.
In contrast, theLadybugan excellent helper. This is particularly true for its larvae. So it's worth itLadybugs in the gardento lure. You can even buy larvae. By the way, the offspring eat up to 800 lice per day! In comparison, the beetle only manages 150. Other suitable insects and larvae that can be used to combat aphids are:
- Waspseat the pests and should be welcome if you want to control aphids.
- The larvae of theLacewingsare also suitable for the greenhouse. Once fully grown, they fly away and need to be replaced. Lacewing larvae also eat other pests such as spider mites, mealy bugs and thrips.
- The dolls of theGall midgesYou can place them around endangered plants in the greenhouse.
- Just a female oneSlippery waspcan take action against 200 aphids. It does this in an interesting way: it lays its eggs in the aphid. After two weeks, the new wasps hatch and repeat the process. Would you like this wayYou should fight aphids naturallybut to the genresAphidius colemaniorThe aphid of the fieldgrab.
You can control the population of insectswith an insect hotelincrease.
And what to do with houseplants?
Insects are not necessarily suitable for use in the house and spraying them with the products mentioned can be complicated or smell unpleasant. But what if you still go to the...pests in your own four wallshow to fight aphids? Simple water and your bathtub or shower can help here:
- Cover the soil and the pot. The easiest way to do this is to use a plastic bag or foil that you close tightly.
- Now turn your plant on its side. So it should no longer be vertical, but horizontal.
- Now rinse all parts of the plant with a jet of water that is not too hard. You should be able to see the critters fall off.
- The next day, check your plant again. If you discover more lice, simply shower your plant again.
