Help! Aphids are everywhere!

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   Kristen Haynieposted 12 years ago

   Help! Aphids are everywhere!
   
   I tried growing veggies and herbs in my backyard, but an aphid infestation killed them all off. I decided to start a new herb garden indoors, which was going very well for a while. Somehow, though, the aphids found their way to those, as well. As the plants will be used for cooking, I do not want to use any harsh insecticides to fix the problem. I read somewhere that coating the leaves with water and dish soap will keep them away, but that's not even working. These little buggers are relentless, and I'm at a loss for weapons against them. Does anyone have any good ideas?

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2. 67

   davenmidtownposted 12 years ago

   garlic water, and or hot pepper water works well.  I have hubs for both with recipes if you are interested.

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      Kristen Haynieposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I went over and found those hubs you wrote. I really like the garlic water method. It works! It keeps the aphids away, and my herbs are thriving now that they're not being eaten alive!

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3. 0

   Old Empresarioposted 12 years ago

   Ladybugs subsist on eating aphids. Buy lots of ladybugs and dump them in your garden.

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      Kristen Haynieposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Using lady bugs is a great idea! This is great for keeping aphids under control on my outdoor plants, but they're still finding their way inside and eating my indoor plants.

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      davenmidtownposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Ladybuds do work well on aphids... the problem with commercially purchased lady bugs is that they are collects during their lives when they typically fly off and converge. So they do not stay long in a garden.

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   cat on a soapboxposted 12 years ago

   In addition to the other great suggestions here from fellow hubbers, you could order "aphid lions" or lacewing larva. They are voracious aphid eaters and can be ordered from Gardens Alive and other sources.

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