Aphids are one of the “unwanted guests” most commonly found on garden and house plants. An infestation is often noticed late. Then quick action is necessary. 2 natural remedies against aphids help in the fight against the pests. In today's article we explain why they work immediately and give two recipes for home remedies.
Natural remedies against aphids with immediate effect: rapeseed oil
Rapeseed oil is a natural remedy against aphids with an immediate effect. We will now explain to you why treating houseplants as well as perennials and flowers in the garden successfully removes pests.
- When you spray the plants with rapeseed oil, some of the pests are immediately washed away. Many aphids later lose their grip because the oil forms a slippery film on the leaves. Once they fall off the plants, only a few aphids find their way back. However, the majority stay on the ground and die off.
- The aphids that remain on the plant are surrounded by the rapeseed oil film and cannot move or breathe.
- Maybe the biggestAdvantage of the home remedyis that rapeseed oil also works well on larvae.
- It can be used not only for ornamental plants, but also for useful plants.
When and how do you use rapeseed oil against aphids?
Correct application is very important for quick and best possible results. It is best to treat garden plants late in the afternoon. Ideally, it shouldn't rain that night and the next day should be cloudy. This is because the rapeseed oil smears the protective layer of the leaves. This special wax layer prevents sunburn. Without it, young plants in particular are at risk.
Houseplants that are on a sunny windowsill should be placed out of the sun for a few days after treatment.
Make your own spray with rapeseed oil: Instructions for a natural remedy against aphids
Before treatment, you need to prepare a spray with rapeseed oil. For this purpose, pour 60 ml of rapeseed oil and 140 ml of water into an empty spray bottle. Then add a dab of dishwashing liquid to the water, close the bottle and shake vigorously so that the ingredients can mix well. Soak all above-ground parts of the affected plants and leave them to act overnight.
Tea tree oil is a fast-acting, natural remedy against aphids
Tea tree oil has also proven in practice and in studies to be an effective, natural remedy against aphids. Oneinternational studyeven proves that treatment with the home remedy combats up to 80% of pests. However, the combination of tea tree oil, pepper and rosemary oil was fatal to 98.33% of the aphids.
The tea tree oil works when the pests come into direct contact with the organic product. Part of it is suffocating because shecovered with tea tree oil(the effect is similar to rapeseed oil). The rest of the aphids absorb the oil through their food - and it is toxic to them. Hence the quick and safe effect.
Home remedies with tea tree oil, make your own aphids: instructions
To prepare a home remedy, simply pour 750 ml of water into a spray bottle. Pour 10 drops of tea tree oil, 5 drops of rosemary oil into the bottle and add a pinch of pepper. Add some more dishwashing liquid (about 1/3 teaspoon) to the water and then close the bottle and shake vigorously.
Treat the plants with the home remedy on a cloudy afternoon. Place houseplants out of the sun again.
Prevent aphids with tea tree oil
Unlike rapeseed oil, which only fights aphids, tea tree oil also has a preventative effect. For this purpose it can also be easily combined with eucalyptus oil. Not all leaves, but only a few leaves of neighboring plants are sprayed with a solution of 5 drops of eucalyptus oil, 10 drops of tea tree oil and 500 ml of water. This is particularly important in spring, because this is the season when aphids spread in the garden. You can also protect the kitchen garden from an infestation by spraying the neighboring plants with the solution. The tea tree spray is also useful if you have planted the vegetables too close together in the garden and want to prevent the pests from spreading.
There are many natural remedies that are effective against aphids. But if the pests spread quickly in the flowerbed or on the rose bush, then reach for rapeseed or tea tree oil. They will control the insects and are not harmful to the plants themselves. When treating, you should just make sure that the plants are not exposed to strong sunlight. The scented oils remove the upper protective layer of the leaves and they can easily burn. It is therefore best to treat the garden plants late in the afternoon or even in the evening, after sunset.
Other natural remedies for aphids on fruit treescan be found here.
