- the essentials in brief
- How to fight aphids?
- Breathing air drives away aphids
- Combat with chemicals?
- Effective beneficials
- identify aphids
- What damage do aphids do?
- affected plants
- Where do aphids come from?
- Prevent an infestation
- Aphids in the natural garden
- frequently asked Questions
Aphids seem to appear out of nowhere. They develop into a plague in a short time and have to be fought with great effort. Various home remedies and beneficial insects work against aphids. With a little knowledge of the way of life, you can effectively prevent an infestation.
Aphids can be easily combated with home remedies
Table of Contents
Show all- the essentials in brief
- How to fight aphids?
- Combat with chemicals?
- Effective beneficials
- identify aphids
- Damage from aphids
- affected plants
- Where do aphids come from?
- Prevent an infestation
- Aphids in the natural garden
- frequently asked Questions
- Aphids can be easily combated with household remedies such as: washing-up liquid, a water-oil mixture, alcohol, milk, nettle or garlic broth
- Beneficial insects can also be used against aphids, such as ladybugs or parasitic wasps
- Chemicals are neither recommended nor necessary when fighting aphids
- Aphids are black or green to reddish brown, white lice are mealybugs
- Protect substrate with a plastic bag
- Put the plant in the shower or bath
- Set the water jet as hard as possible
- Thoroughly hose off shoot tips, undersides of leaves and hiding places
- Check the plant for aphids over the next few days
- rapeseed oil
- tea tree oil
- neem oil
- tansy flowers
- Rhubarb Leaves
- Greek oregano leaves
- Bracken Leaves
- high environmental and water pollution
- Beneficial insects are also endangered
- Poison residues are consumed and affect health
- only help against aphids in the short term
- size: 1-7mm
- coloring: green to reddish brown and black
- old: 2 to 6 weeks
- distribution: worldwide
- Suction activity results in crop failures or loss of yield
- Aphids are important carriers of viral diseases
- Honeydew as breeding ground for sooty mold and food source
- in case of overpopulation of the host plant
- through pheromones
- when threatened by predators
- fruit trees: apple tree, cherry tree, plum tree
- fruit bushes: elderberries, raspberries, currants
- vegetables: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans, chili
- herbs: parsley, dill, mint, basil
- indoor plants: oleanders, orchids, bonsai
- Ornamental and balcony plants: geraniums, dahlias, hydrangeas, petunias, lupins, clematis
- Put lavender or savory between crops
- Encourage beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps and ladybirds
- Potassium fertilization strengthens the cell walls
- Fruit trees and perennials create shady areas
- Bark mulch and sand loosens the soil
- Mounds of earth and mounds of rubble ensure warm locations
- ladybug: Marigolds, corn poppies, yarrow, cornflowers, silverweed, cranesbill, dandelions
- hoverflies: wild carrot, marsh marigold, blackthorn, coltsfoot
- lacewings: Catnip, purple coneflowers, late flowering nectar plants
- streak disease on potatoes
- Dwarf barley yellow virus on wheat and barley
the essentials in brief
How to fight aphids?
Aphids can be effectively combated with home remedies. If the annoying plant suckers have already multiplied, you have to be patient. It is therefore important to act as early as possible. You should always fight plant pests without chemicals and in a biological and natural way so as not to unnecessarily pollute the environment. Before each treatment, rinse the entire plant in the shower to get rid of as many aphids as possible.
digression
Breathing air drives away aphids
Scientists have discovered that the exhaled air triggers a special escape behavior in the aphids. So that they are not eaten by herbivorous mammals, the insects drop to the ground. This behavior is not linked to any special substances in the air we breathe. Aphids generally respond to the combination of elevated temperature and humidity.water jet
If the infestation is still in the early stages, you can remove the aphids by hosing down or showering. Isolate affected plants to keep the pests from spreading to other houseplants.
How to proceed:
detergent
With a soapy solution, aphids can be driven away in an environmentally friendly way
Mix a liter of water with about ten milliliters of ecological dish soap or curd soap. Using an atomizer, spray the soapy water directly onto the aphid colonies. The mixture leaves a film that traps the pests. They are unable to move and the solution blocks the aphids' airways, killing them after a short time.
The plant is not harmed by the treatment. However, you should then rinse the plant thoroughly with clear water so that no residues remain. Dish soap can clog the pores on leaves and stems, preventing plants from breathing.
oil
A 7:3 water-oil emulsion has been shown to be an effective aphid control agent. The pests are covered by the oil film and can no longer absorb oxygen. They die within a short time and can be washed away. You can use the method more frequently if necessary, so that the newly hatched aphids also have no chance of surviving. The treatment does not harm the plants.
These substances are suitable:
milk
Mix about 100 milliliters of milk with twice the amount of water and spray the entire plant with the mixture. Milk contains lecithin and not only ensures that the pests are driven away. The solution prevents the supply of oxygen, so the aphids die quickly. Repeat the treatment every two to four days.
vinegar
Aphids react to acid and flee when the environment becomes too acidic. Vinegar does not kill the parasites, but has a preventive effect against aphid infestation. Make sure you only use vinegar when it is very diluted. Too high an acid concentration can damage the leaves.
spirit
A few drops of spirit or alcohol can be added to any solution. The substances leave no residue as they evaporate completely. This evaporation creates cold, which the aphids do not survive. The plants are not harmed.
garlic and nettle broth
There are a number of herbal scents that aphids don't like. These include extracts of nettle and garlic. Both plants are rich in essential oils and help prevent aphid infestation. Stick a clove of garlic into the soil or water the plants regularly with a sprinkling of nettle leaves. This nitrogenous natural fertilizer strengthens the plant organism at the same time.
Other effective plant parts:
Black tea, coffee and cola
Luxury foods are ideal for getting the plague under control. A well-brewed batch of black tea or freshly brewed coffee will ensure that the pests are killed. The high caffeine content is toxic, causing the insects to suffer a heart attack. Equally successful is a spray with cola. Aphids do not tolerate the sugar it contains.
Combat with chemicals?
Monocultures characterize the image of arable land, which is why aphids can spread here unhindered and in large numbers. In order to curb the infestation, farmers have to resort to chemical means. These penetrate the plant and are distributed in the organism with the plant sap. If aphids suck the sap, they ingest the poison and die. The effect of such insecticides lasts for several weeks.
Disadvantages of chemical agents:
Effective beneficials
Ladybugs like to eat aphids
There are also harmless alternatives for large-scale aphid infestations. Numerous beneficial insects prey on aphids. Some are parasitic and have specialized in insects. Important beneficial insects are ladybirds, lacewings and hoverflies, gall midges and spider larvae.
catchy tunes
If a tree or shrub is infested with aphids, there are simple ways to attract earwigs. Fill a clay pot with wood shavings and close the opening with wire mesh. This dwelling is hung upside down in the affected tree. Hundreds of earwigs find shelter here. At dusk they swarm out and hunt for aphids.
parasitic wasps
Ichneumon wasps (€22.99) are among the most important enemies of aphids. A female can parasitize up to 500 aphids. She penetrates the living aphid with her ovipositor and lays her eggs there. The larvae grow inside the aphid and eat it from the inside. What remains is the empty shell of the aphid. Ichneumon wasps are able to track down isolated aphids. This makes them an effective means of control, which is also effective when the aphids are scattered.
| scientific name | specialized parasitic wasp | |
|---|---|---|
| pea aphid | Acyrthosiphon pisum | Praon volumecre |
| Big Raspberry Louse | Amphorophora idaei | Praon volumecre |
| mallow aphid | Acyrthosiphon malvae | Praon volumecre |
| Green-spotted potato aphid | Aulacorthum solani | Ephedrus cerasicola |
| potato louse | Macrosiphum euphorbiae | Aphidius matricariae |
| Large rose aphid | Macrosiphum rosae | Aphidius ervi |
identify aphids
Aphids represent a superfamily within plant lice. With 650 different species, they are the largest group of plant lice. In addition to snails, these insects are among the most common pests that occur on ornamental and crop plants. The insects are only a few millimeters in size and can be colored differently depending on the species. They live in large colonies or in smaller groups on the host plants, where they mainly colonize young leaves and shoots that are still soft.
Characteristics and Species
The black bean aphid mainly affects beans and potatoes
Although small, aphids can be seen with the naked eye. Externally, male and female insects do not differ from each other. However, predominantly females are produced. This means that the genetic makeup does not change over generations. Thus, the survival of an aphid population is highly dependent on environmental factors. Aphids occur naturally in forests and meadows. They live in flower beds and are kept in check by natural predators.
| group | host plants | scientific | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black bean aphid | black aphids | Beans, potatoes, turnips, balsam | Aphis fabae |
| Green peach aphid | black and green aphids | Cruciferous vegetables, various vegetables, herbs | Myzus persicae |
| Oleander Aphid | yellow aphids | Oleander. silk flowers, wax flowers | Aphis nerii |
| apple blood louse | brown aphids | apple, pear, quince | Eriosoma lanigerum |
White aphids?
If you spot white-colored pests on the leaves of indoor plants, they are not aphids. Mealybugs are usually behind it, which are also known as mealybugs or root lice. These insects secrete a waxy substance under which they protect themselves. When infested, the pests are recognizable as small white cotton balls.
Red aphids?
The fruit tree spider mite hides behind the bright red plant pests. It sometimes causes major damage to currants, pears, apples, gooseberries or plums. The species also inhabits grapevines, sucking the sap from the freshly sprouting leaves.
What damage do aphids do?
Aphids can cause significant damage to the plant
An infestation of aphids can severely weaken the plant. A much bigger problem, however, is the secretions, because they attract wasps, honey bees and other animals. Ants often interact with aphids. They protect the colonies from predators and help the aphids to spread further. In return, ants benefit from the sugary honeydew. You can specifically milk the aphids.
side effects:
way of life
Aphids have a proboscis that they use to penetrate soft plant tissue and suck out the sugary sap. Since they only need a small amount of protein to survive, they excrete most of it. These secretions are called honeydew and cover the host plant as a sticky film.
reproduction
The fact that aphids are so numerous is due to their change of generations. Sexual generation with males and females rarely occurs in most species. Aphids reproduce predominantly asexually by means of virginity. Only females are produced in these generations. There are aphid species in which the sexual generation has completely disappeared.
Winged and unwinged generations
When mating occurs, the females lay eggs. In asexual reproduction, the offspring are born alive. The larvae usually go through four nymphal stages, from which wingless or winged insects can arise. Whether the animals develop wings depends on the environmental conditions.
This is how winged aphids develop:
Aphids can develop wings
affected plants
Aphids are not particularly specialized. They colonize fruit trees such as strawberries as well as pepper plants, lettuce or cucumber plants. The pests do not stop at plants in the garden, greenhouse or terrarium and attack bamboo, roses, sunflowers and ivy. Even trees like linden or beech are not safe from aphids. Plants with carbohydrate-rich plant juices are particularly popular.
These plants are particularly affected:
Where do aphids come from?
The annoying pests often seem to appear out of nowhere. However, due to the special way of life of aphids, they are able to spread through different elements. If you are not careful, you can bring the pests into your home unnoticed.
Aphids in the garden
In the spring, the sucking pests hatch from the eggs that overwinter on various ornamental and useful plants in the garden. Aphids lay very frost-resistant eggs. Some species can overwinter on the host plant as an adult insect.
The first generation of the year consists mostly of females who reproduce asexually. Their offspring can multiply after just ten days and enlarge the colony many times over. In this way, up to 40 generations can be formed per year. Males and females are usually produced in the fall for the next offspring to overwinter as an egg.
Aphids on houseplants
Although some generations can fly, houseplants are not usually infected by infested plants in the garden. There are often aphid eggs in the potting soil. The next time you repot, the newly hatched larvae can migrate onto the plant and spread there en masse. It is not uncommon for plants from the hardware store or supermarket to be infested with aphids, which are carried home after purchase.
tips
Examine the plant carefully before you buy it. The pests often hide in leaf axils or on the underside of leaves.
Prevent an infestation
When buying potting soil, look for high-quality products. Cheap potting soil is usually contaminated and should be sterilized in the oven before use. Aphids like dry air conditions and warm temperatures, which is why they often attack indoor plants in winter. Make sure that the humidity is high, especially in winter, so that the pests do not feel comfortable. Over-fertilization weakens the plant and makes it more susceptible to aphid infestation. Too much nitrogen increases the likelihood of an infestation. Sprout spraying has proven to be successful for fruit trees.
Fertilize properly
If you fertilize with unsuitable means or in too large quantities, plants will grow too fast and develop thin and weak shoots. Here aphids have good opportunities to get to the coveted plant sap. If a plant is repeatedly attacked by aphids, this indicates an excessive accumulation of sugar in the cells. The flow of juice is disturbed by improper nutrition.
With the right fertilization you strengthen your plants and prevent aphid infestation. Mature compost provides the plants with all the important nutrients. Since compost changes the pH of the soil, the substrate is less suitable for lime-sensitive plants. Fertilize rhododendrons and other sensitive plants with horn shavings. (32.93€) These act as long-term fertilizers and supply the plants with nitrogen.
Ensure optimal site conditions
Healthy plants naturally develop defense mechanisms to keep pests from attacking them. The location is of great importance for healthy growth. When creating an ornamental and kitchen garden, make sure you choose a suitable plant that is adapted to the respective location.
To determine the acidity of the soil, you can use a quick pH test. If the soil is too calcareous, you can improve it with an ammonia fertilizer, iron sulphate or sulphur. Lime fertilization increases the pH of acidic soils.
Tips for different habitats:
Diversity instead of unity
Aphids appear as weakness parasites. They first attack plants that are sick or weakened. Before starting pest control, the biological balance must be established. Otherwise, after successful control, the aphids will quickly spread again. Choose robust and hardy varieties and avoid overbred varieties that can hardly hold their own under suboptimal conditions. Pay attention to mixed cultures and plant a bed with different types of vegetables so that the soil is not unilaterally loaded.
Aphids in the natural garden
Nature keeps itself in balance. When there is an excess of plant pests, populations of beneficial pest-eating insects also increase. However, this only works if people intervene as little as possible. Monocultures and clearly structured gardens reduce the diversity of species in the garden. Many important creatures do not find an ideal habitat here. Plant pests that thrive in warm and dry microclimates can reproduce with ease.
In the near-natural garden there are enough opponents who curb the aphid populations. Even on the balcony you can ensure increased biodiversity.
Species-rich planting
Aphids prefer the color yellow. A natural planting proves to be a colorful backdrop that offers numerous niches and habitats for various beneficial insects. Not only the insects benefit from a species-rich garden. Place various herbs such as mint, dill, coriander or fennel outdoors or in balcony boxes. These herbs also enrich your diet.
What beneficial insects prefer:
Insect hotels and deadwood
So that the beneficial insects can settle permanently in the garden, a retreat is of great importance. Many insects overwinter in sheltered areas. These can be hollow stalks of dead perennials or small crevices under the bark of dead trees. Offer the beneficial insects piles of dead wood and leave dead perennials over the winter. Insect hotels are an alternative that you can also use on the balcony.
tips
If you are nevertheless plagued by aphids, you should settle parasitic wasps. In specialist shops there are cards that are equipped with eggs. Ichneumon wasps are parasitic and have specialized in aphids.
frequently asked Questions
Does dish soap help against aphids?
Flushing liquid is a tried and tested household remedy that is effective against aphids. Inject a few drops of ecological dishwashing liquid into a liter of water and spray the plant using an atomizer. The aphids should be completely wetted. You can repeat the method several times if necessary. Make sure that no residue gets into the potting soil. To be on the safe side, you can place the pot in a plastic bag and tie it shut. After spraying, the plant should be rinsed thoroughly.
What to do with aphids on roses?
A solution of soap, neem oil, or dish soap will also help with aphid infestations on roses. However, you should make sure that the remedies do not contain any synthetic compounds or fragrances, because roses do not tolerate these ingredients. The valuable wax layer on the leaves, which protects against excessive evaporation, can dissolve. As a result, the shrubs are weakened and are more susceptible to fungal diseases. Use the remedy daily. If the infestation is severe, you can spray your roses twice a day.
Are aphids dangerous to humans?
There is no need to worry, because aphids are completely harmless to humans. Although they are considered disease carriers, they can only transmit viruses between different host plants. For pets, aphids are just an additional source of protein.
What damage can aphids do?
The pests suck plant sap from young leaves and shoots. Normally this does not harm the plant. The harmful effect is limited to the aesthetic level. However, aphid colonies on the plant can have repercussions. Insect secretions provide an ideal breeding ground for fungi, and occasionally aphids infect indoor plants with viral diseases. In agriculture, high crop failures must be expected in years with epidemic-like multiplication of pests.
Typical viral diseases:
What is the life expectancy of an aphid?
The age of insects depends on various environmental factors and the availability of food. They prefer a dry and warm microclimate and high-carbohydrate plant juices. Under optimal conditions, an aphid can survive for up to six weeks. Normally, their life expectancy is about two to four weeks.
Why do aphids multiply so en masse?
Aphids reproduce predominantly asexually. Most species produce male and female insects that mate before the onset of winter. The eggs are frost-resistant and overwinter until next spring. Females hatch from them and reproduce asexually over the course of the year. In this way, up to 40 generations can arise per year, which are born alive. A female can give birth to up to five young per day. These are genetically identical to the mother.