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Aphid apocalypse!
Hi folks,
I have a small herb garden in the front of my house and it's all growing beatifully except for my poor nasturtiums (Tropaoleum (sp?)) which are literally BLACK with aphids. I've prayed for lacewings and ladybugs, and actually saw a ladybug the other day, but I also now see ants which I guess are protecting the aphids from the predators! Any tips? Soapy water? Surrender? There are WAY too many for the squash-em tactic and it's kind of stomach churning crushing them in their hundreds... Thes. |
Aphid apocalypse!
In ,
Thes typed: Hi folks, I have a small herb garden in the front of my house and it's all growing beatifully except for my poor nasturtiums (Tropaoleum (sp?)) which are literally BLACK with aphids. I've prayed for lacewings and ladybugs, and actually saw a ladybug the other day, but I also now see ants which I guess are protecting the aphids from the predators! Any tips? Soapy water? Surrender? There are WAY too many for the squash-em tactic and it's kind of stomach churning crushing them in their hundreds... Too late now, but my approach is very selective spraying with a contact isecticide, of heavliy infested growing tips before the problem gets out of hand - avoiding spraying of the bulk of the plant and leaving lots for the lacewings etc to tuck into. pk |
Aphid apocalypse!
On Mon, 23 Jun 2003 10:32:16 +0100, Thes wrote:
Any tips? Soapy water? I sprayed mine with a few drops of washing up liquid in a squirt bottle full of water and they all seem to have died. I did it every day for a week or so. Surrender? Never! :-) Liz |
Aphid apocalypse!
LizR wrote:
On Mon, 23 Jun 2003 10:32:16 +0100, Thes wrote: Any tips? Soapy water? I sprayed mine with a few drops of washing up liquid in a squirt bottle full of water and they all seem to have died. I did it every day for a week or so. Surrender? Never! :-) Liz OK then, I'll give that a try. Thanks! Aphids! Thy doom is FAIRY... |
Aphid apocalypse!
On Mon, 23 Jun 2003 10:32:16 +0100, Thes
wrote: Hi folks, I have a small herb garden in the front of my house and it's all growing beatifully except for my poor nasturtiums (Tropaoleum (sp?)) which are literally BLACK with aphids. I've prayed for lacewings and ladybugs, and actually saw a ladybug the other day, but I also now see ants which I guess are protecting the aphids from the predators! Any tips? Soapy water? Surrender? There are WAY too many for the squash-em tactic and it's kind of stomach churning crushing them in their hundreds... Thes. Nippon for the ants and then see if the natural predeters can get to work BEFORE using the insectiside. Give a blast of the hose pipe a couple of times and try and wash em off a bit too. |
Aphid apocalypse!
"Thes" wrote in message ... Hi folks, I have a small herb garden in the front of my house and it's all growing beatifully except for my poor nasturtiums (Tropaoleum (sp?)) which are literally BLACK with aphids. I've prayed for lacewings and ladybugs, and actually saw a ladybug the other day, but I also now see ants which I guess are protecting the aphids from the predators! Any tips? Soapy water? Surrender? There are WAY too many for the squash-em tactic and it's kind of stomach churning crushing them in their hundreds... Thes. I've stopped growing them for that reason!! it seems that they hate rich soil and wind.........but whatever I did I could not get them to grow without infestations of blackfly :~( Jenny |
Aphid apocalypse!
On Mon, 23 Jun 2003 13:48:33 +0100, Thes wrote:
LizR wrote: On Mon, 23 Jun 2003 10:32:16 +0100, Thes wrote: Any tips? Soapy water? I sprayed mine with a few drops of washing up liquid in a squirt bottle full of water and they all seem to have died. I did it every day for a week or so. Surrender? Never! :-) Liz OK then, I'll give that a try. Thanks! Aphids! Thy doom is FAIRY... I spoke too soon! After 2 weeks of peace, the little blighters are back! On the nasturtiums this time:-( I went out tonight with my Fairy gun so lets hope they get the message. Liz |
Aphid apocalypse!
On Mon, 23 Jun 2003 19:57:49 +0200, "JennyC" wrote:
"Thes" wrote in message ... Hi folks, I have a small herb garden in the front of my house and it's all growing beatifully except for my poor nasturtiums (Tropaoleum (sp?)) which are literally BLACK with aphids. I've prayed for lacewings and ladybugs, and actually saw a ladybug the other day, but I also now see ants which I guess are protecting the aphids from the predators! Any tips? Soapy water? Surrender? There are WAY too many for the squash-em tactic and it's kind of stomach churning crushing them in their hundreds... Thes. I've stopped growing them for that reason!! it seems that they hate rich soil and wind.........but whatever I did I could not get them to grow without infestations of blackfly :~( Jenny Herbs I grow indoors on a windowsill except for rosemary (which seems to have no successful predators, though I often wonder what the cuckoo-spit is doing all over it) and mint, which is usually very vigourous whatever the circs. Liz |
Aphid apocalypse!
On Mon, 23 Jun 2003 10:32:16 +0100, Thes
wrote: Hi folks, I have a small herb garden in the front of my house and it's all growing beatifully except for my poor nasturtiums (Tropaoleum (sp?)) which are literally BLACK with aphids. I've prayed for lacewings and ladybugs, and actually saw a ladybug the other day, but I also now see ants which I guess are protecting the aphids from the predators! Any tips? Soapy water? Surrender? There are WAY too many for the squash-em tactic and it's kind of stomach churning crushing them in their hundreds... Thes. Nippon for the ants and then see if the natural predeters can get to work BEFORE using the insectiside. Give a blast of the hose pipe a couple of times and try and wash em off a bit too. |
Aphid apocalypse!
"Thes" wrote in message ... Hi folks, I have a small herb garden in the front of my house and it's all growing beatifully except for my poor nasturtiums (Tropaoleum (sp?)) which are literally BLACK with aphids. I've prayed for lacewings and ladybugs, and actually saw a ladybug the other day, but I also now see ants which I guess are protecting the aphids from the predators! Any tips? Soapy water? Surrender? There are WAY too many for the squash-em tactic and it's kind of stomach churning crushing them in their hundreds... Thes. I've stopped growing them for that reason!! it seems that they hate rich soil and wind.........but whatever I did I could not get them to grow without infestations of blackfly :~( Jenny |
Aphid apocalypse!
On Mon, 23 Jun 2003 13:48:33 +0100, Thes wrote:
LizR wrote: On Mon, 23 Jun 2003 10:32:16 +0100, Thes wrote: Any tips? Soapy water? I sprayed mine with a few drops of washing up liquid in a squirt bottle full of water and they all seem to have died. I did it every day for a week or so. Surrender? Never! :-) Liz OK then, I'll give that a try. Thanks! Aphids! Thy doom is FAIRY... I spoke too soon! After 2 weeks of peace, the little blighters are back! On the nasturtiums this time:-( I went out tonight with my Fairy gun so lets hope they get the message. Liz |
Aphid apocalypse!
On Mon, 23 Jun 2003 19:57:49 +0200, "JennyC" wrote:
"Thes" wrote in message ... Hi folks, I have a small herb garden in the front of my house and it's all growing beatifully except for my poor nasturtiums (Tropaoleum (sp?)) which are literally BLACK with aphids. I've prayed for lacewings and ladybugs, and actually saw a ladybug the other day, but I also now see ants which I guess are protecting the aphids from the predators! Any tips? Soapy water? Surrender? There are WAY too many for the squash-em tactic and it's kind of stomach churning crushing them in their hundreds... Thes. I've stopped growing them for that reason!! it seems that they hate rich soil and wind.........but whatever I did I could not get them to grow without infestations of blackfly :~( Jenny Herbs I grow indoors on a windowsill except for rosemary (which seems to have no successful predators, though I often wonder what the cuckoo-spit is doing all over it) and mint, which is usually very vigourous whatever the circs. Liz |
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