How to get rid of aphids – save your plants with a few homemade remedies
For everyone who loves gardening, spring and summer are their favorite seasons. During spring time they spend so much time planting everything, carefully growing all of the plants, so that once summer arrives they can see the results of their hard work. Sometimes, however, little bugs have different plans for our gardens. One of those bugs can be the aphid. An aphids infestation is quite difficult to fight, which is why it is good to prevent it before it even happens. So, today we are going to talk about how to get rid of aphids and save your plants with a few easy homemade remedies.
It’s much better to prevent the problem rather than fight it once it has appeared
In this article
What are aphids?
Aphids are sap sucking insects. They multiple rapidly and easily, which is why prevention is key. Once they take over a plant, they are very easy to fight off. They feed on the plant, weaken it and can even disfigure it. Aphids are more common in temperate regions, although they can grow in numbers almost everywhere.
Aphids are more common in temperate regions
How to get rid of aphids?
As we have already mentioned, aphids are difficult to fight off once they take over a plant. That is exactly why, prevention is key. Most importantly, prevention with homemade remedies, which aren’t going to harm your plant. So, keep reading to find a few hacks and ideas on how to get rid of aphids infestation.
Water
If you notice a few aphids on the plant, the easiest thing to do is water them down. Just grab the garden hose and spray them. This is something you can do if there are just a few. However, if there are more, you are going to need something more.
Natural remedies
Let nature run its course
Ladybugs are an all natural remedy. A ladybug can eat up to 800 aphids a day, which is why if the infestation is strong you can buy ladybug larvae and let nature run its course. This will defnitely be your best helper against an aphids infestation. Wasps are another insect, which likes to feast on aphids.
Vinegar can help you
Use vinegar for roses
Vinegar can be a great remedy against aphids when they infest your beautiful rose bushes. Everyone has vinegar at home, which makes this remedy extremely easy to recreate. Just mix 100ml of vinegar with about 500ml of water and spray the roses with the solution. If the bush is still young you can dilute it with more water, so as not to damage the roses.
If the infestation is severe you can use each remedy multiple times
How to get rid of aphids with garlic
There are two different ways to fight aphids with garlic. Both of them depend on the level of infestation. If it is at the early stages you can take a few garlic cloves, peel them and stick them in the ground next to the infested plant. Since aphids don’t like the smell of garlic, it should be able to keep them away. On the other hand, if the infestation is strong, you need to commit some more time. Peel and chop a few garlic cloves and cover them with water. Let the stock brew for 2 weeks, then spray the plant with the garlic stock.
You can also use onion
Get rid of aphids with onion
Prepare an onion stock to fight aphids. It will be quicker than the garlic stock. All you have to do is dice an onion and boil it in water, then simmer for about 30 minutes. Let the stock cool and spray the plant with the solution.
Aphids don’t like the smell of lavender
How to get rid of aphids with lavender?
Lavender has a strong scent. That is why it is a great remedy to fight off these insects. What’s more there are two different ways to use lavender:
- With dried lavender. Just pour boiling water over a handful of lavender, let sit for a few hours, strain and spray the plant with the solution.
- With lavender essential oil. Mix about 10 drops of lavender essential oil with one drop of dish soap and 1l of water. Mix well and spray the plants with the mixture.
You might be surprised to find out that milk can actually help you get rid of aphids
Use milk
Mix 100ml milk with 200ml water and spray the plant with the solution. The acid in the milk helps get rid of the aphids. This homemade remedy doesn’t just keep the aphids away, the acid actually kills these insects.
Make sure that the spray bottle you are using is clean
Use dish soap
Mix 5ml of dish soap with 500ml of water. You can use this solution on ornamental flowers. The slippery solution will prevent the aphids from climbing and attaching themselves to the stem of the plant. If you already ahve an aphid infestation, the solution will suffocate the insects.
Last, but not least
How to get rid of aphids with a nettle brew
Pour water over nettle and let it sit for 48 hours. Transfer the mixture to a spray bottle and spray the plants with the solution. Nettle’s scent will keep the aphids away. Since it is all natural, this solution can be used for all affected plants.
Wasps are a great helper against aphids
