In message .com,
Martin Pentreath writes
Does a dilute solution of washing-up liquid actually DO anything to
aphids? They are running amok on my clematis armandii. The ladybirds
seem to be quite happy eating a couple and then basking in the sun
while the aphids go on multiplying around them astronomically, and the
only effect I can see of my regular washing-up liquid attacks is that
the force of the spray dislodges the buggers. I can do that with
water.

If the ladybirds don't start earning their keep and breeding I shall
be down Robert Dyas next week buying some insecticide and saying
farewell to aphids, ladybirds and all other living creatures in the
vicinity.

Cheers!

Martin

I sprayed my heavily infested fennel 3 days ago with a 10% solution of
ecover washing up liquid and it's killed all the aphids - there's just a
load of aphid corpses on the stems now that wipe off easily. So IMO it
works very effectively. I'd guess that it blocks their pores so they
suffocate, but I could be wrong.

Will
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