Aphid Control Help Needed

[SQWIBB]

Akmark, that means you would have to change up your battle plan every day when battling aphids.
I think you could use the same treatment (treatment that works) over and over again on soft bodied insects like aphids.
They're not going to build up a tolerance to something that is a chemical reaction... IMHO

[slugworth]

I put the plants in an unheated porch in the window sill but use food warming trays
to keep the containers toasty.The plants are (were) subjected to night-time temps
in the low 30's.The plants were infested with white fly,much better now.
Daytime temps outside are in the 40's so I put the plants outside for a few hours per day.
The food warming trays are too hot for starting seeds as is but keeping big potted plants
warm they do fine and are cheap.I find them at goodwill or other thrift stores.

[AKmark]

Originally Posted by SQWIBB

Akmark, that means you would have to change up your battle plan every day when battling aphids.
I think you could use the same treatment (treatment that works) over and over again on soft bodied insects like aphids.
They're not going to build up a tolerance to something that is a chemical reaction... IMHO

You can take that information or not, I am not here to preach. Like I stated many over the counter products have been rendered useless because of misuse, much like antibiotics are becoming. Some of us have to be licensed to use Restricted Use Pesticides to operate, if we use them or not. That is what they teach, they do not care about my opinion. I guarantee the commercial farmers are not spraying neem oil, or insecticidal soap for this reason. For an over the counter approach maybe try something with some systemic value. follow up with a contact, then use some beneficial's to clean up the rest. Anyway, just passing along info to consider.

[Worth1]

The fire ants in my area seem to have taken up aphid farming.
They hit my grape vines last year.
Aphids like new succulent growth and I find it hard to wrap my mind around a sick plant putting out vibrations calling insects to come eat it.
Not arguing just saying it is hard to grasp with my feeble mind.
Many of these nasty critters in my opinion are coming out of big box stores.
Where as an old time nursery depended on their livelihood and kept close watch the big box stores simply dont give a hoot.
You never know what you are liable to bring on to your property or even your neighbors in my case.

Seems like about every 10 to 20 years or so they ban another insecticide all the good ones are gone.
For good or worse I have no idea for sure.

[b54red]

Bell peppers overwintering inside is like ringing a dinner bell for aphids. I no longer fool with overwintering peppers because of the constant aphid battle that it entails. It is enough trouble trying to keep them off of my overwintering citrus.

I have found nothing that completely works inside on aphids but spraying with a fairly strong dose of Permethrin with soap, allowing it to set on the plants for an hour or so then spraying them off with clean water really slows them down. I usually do this three mornings in a row then keep checking and spraying any new ones that show up. The trick is to keep watch for them and make sure to spray the undersides of the leaves and down the stems and even the surface of the potting mixture or mulch. I use a milder mix for getting stray or new aphids that show up and only use the strong stuff for major outbreaks. I have been doing this for several years now and it still seems to work fairly well. I was so glad to finally get my citrus plants and my pepper seedlings outside two weeks ago where the natural predators seem to have taken over my job.

Bill

[SQWIBB]

I started my first treatment with Hydrogen Peroxide, 2 tablespoons to 8 oz water. I sprayed the soil heavily also. Checked for burn 12 hours later (this morning) and leaves seem fine. I'll give it another full day and treat again.
I'll post my results here.

[SQWIBB]

Originally Posted by AKmark

You can take that information or not, I am not here to preach. Like I stated many over the counter products have been rendered useless because of misuse, much like antibiotics are becoming. Some of us have to be licensed to use Restricted Use Pesticides to operate, if we use them or not. That is what they teach, they do not care about my opinion. I guarantee the commercial farmers are not spraying neem oil, or insecticidal soap for this reason. For an over the counter approach maybe try something with some systemic value. follow up with a contact, then use some beneficial's to clean up the rest. Anyway, just passing along info to consider.

Good information.

Farmers don't use what you have mentioned most likely due to cost, who knows but I'm not going to debate that.


I totally agree with the antibiotics analogy and over the counter products being misused.

For us home gardeners (indoor) using a aphid control like hydrogen peroxide, in theory should work indefinitely on soft bodied insects like Aphids, unless they somehow morph into a hard bodied insect.


Pour salt on a slug, (osmosis), they die and always will from salt, although this is a "Physical process" they're young will never be immune to salt.


Hydrogen peroxide is a "chemical reaction" that produces energy that is enough to destroy aphids. Hydrogen peroxide should have some systemic value when applied to the soil. I can't see Aphids building a tolerance against a physical or chemical reaction.


I could be wrong but I just don't see it.



Insecticidal soap can be a physical reaction/chemical reaction? that dissolve the wax layer which leads to water loss of the aphid, cause suffocation, affect growth hormones and disrupt cell membranes through ingestion.
I have had luck with soaps then rinsing but they always come back after a few days, they are probably still in the untreated soil.
I also don't see how they could build up a tolerance to this?

[zipcode]

If you want to overwinter peppers it's best to spray a few days after trimming back with something that kills for sure (meaning something chemical). I think it is acceptable, there will be no fruits for a while, it's better than having to endure early infestation which can be a big problem. Aphids don't need strong poisons to die, there are many commercial stuff that will work well.

[AKmark]

Lets take a look at the last sentence in resistant factors right above the table. This is the issue we have in my area that I tried to pass along. I can pile on material to back this up, but I do think the rest is on the applicators to find for themselves.
https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/publications...soybean-aphids

[bower]

I didn't find soap spray to be any more effective than water. Everyone who gets squirted directly is toast. They are soft and easy to crush, a water squirt will do it. The problem is, they'll be back in two days if not sooner, and then it's rinse lather and repeat.
If you dust the pots with DE so they can't get up again, that might help. Or dust the leaves.
Again this is not ideal for indoors, you don't want to be breathing the stuff yourself.



I was surprised how baking soda took them down. Lime would probably work as well, if you crush it to a powder.

[clkeiper]

Why are you rinsing off the plant after spraying it with soapy water? Let the soapy waterdry on the plant. That is how the soapy water method is effective. The soap shouldn't hurt your plant unless the concentration is too high. I have even added cooking oil to the spray.

don't put dry lime on your plants. That will burn the plants dead.

[Nematode]

https://www.arbico-organics.com/prod...YaAvxhEALw_wcB

Botanigard works outside, not sure if it's labeled for inside use.
Expensive, i wish they would make a small bottle for gardeners.

[bower]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

Why are you rinsing off the plant after spraying it with soapy water? Let the soapy waterdry on the plant. That is how the soapy water method is effective. The soap shouldn't hurt your plant unless the concentration is too high. I have even added cooking oil to the spray.

don't put dry lime on your plants. That will burn the plants dead.

Not rinsing just either water or soap/water. Dried on soap residue did nothing to stop aphids from recolonizing here. In the greenhouse they were back on the soapy surfaces even before it dried. What I meant, spraying with water was just as effective as spraying with soap... and just as temporary.



Tx for heads up about lime. I didn't realize it was that much more basic.

[Worth1]

Hydrated lime is super basic.

[SQWIBB]

I do the rinse on my indoor plants a bit after a treatment, the leaves were getting a heavy coating on them if not rinsed.
The plants were suffering from this, the rinse seemed to help but I eventually gave up and terminated them.