Get rid of Aphids

When you grow plants you will also experience that they can get infected by insects like aphids.

We have a lot of plants at the office and we have tried many times to have visits of insects in our lovely plants. One of the most common pests in your home grown plants are aphids.

What is aphids?

Aphids are small, sap-sucking insects normally 1-10 mm in length. The most common aphids are green and they prefer to suck sap from the new fresh shoots of the plant or hide on the underside of the leaves.

These insects can rapidly grow to large colonies and the symptoms will be stunted plant growth, maybe deform leaves, yellow leaves and honeydew – the sticky droppings from aphids that ants are very fond of.

Aphids are often found on roses, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers – but they can be found on almost all plants.

Prevention measures

To keep your plants healthy and fresh it is important to secure good growing conditions. Use a good soil and allow the plants to get enough nutrients, water and light. The better growing conditions you give your plants the more resistant they are against pest or disease attack.

Every time you water your plants take a close look at it, also on the underside of the leaves. If you detect the insects when they are few, they are easier to get rid of.

Some plants as e.g. dill, garlic or nasturtium are said to repel aphids or attract some of the aphid’s enemies, so try to plant some of those too.

How to get rid of aphids

We don’t recommend that you use any kind of poison, try one of more of these methods instead:

• Carefully swipe the insects away with your fingers
• Wash the aphids of with clean water
• Spray the insects with a solution of water, ethanol and liquid dishwasher soap (mix 1/2 l water, 1 dl ethanol, 1 squeeze liquid dishwasher)
• You can also use biological control agents as e.g. ladybirds

I hope you have found some useful advice against aphids and that you, despite aphids, will enjoy to grow some plants – plants are awesome!

Sprouting greetings

Green Thumb by Sprout

Helle Haugaard

Indlægget Aphids blev vist første gang den Sproutworld.