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How to Get Rid of Aphids on Plants

April 30, 2018 by Ann 6 Comments

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Not only are my plants blooming beautiful flowers right now, but some of the seeds I recently planted are sprouting seedlings! With all this growth also comes dreaded pests, like aphids. Today I want to discuss how to get rid of aphids on plants.

how to get rid of aphids, aphids

Here in Southern California with our mild and ideal climate conditions, there are still pests and sicknesses that can ail plants. Thankfully, aphids are one of the few pests that disturb my plants. They love showing up on my hibiscus and rosebuds, much to my dismay.

The aphids I’ve seen around here are green, but they can also be white, orange, black, yellow and grey. They like hanging out on the buds of my mini roses and hibiscus flowers. Aphids also can be found under leaves, so don’t forget to check places where you can’t see them.

What are aphids?

Aphids are tiny bugs that love to feed on plants. Aphids love to feed off of the sugary liquid that comes from plant flowers and leaves where the nutrients are located. Aphids will also attack houseplants if they find a way indoors.

how to get rid of aphids on plants, how to get rid of aphids, flowers, plants, sunflower

If these pests are left alone, they repopulate quickly, and can swiftly become an infestation issue. Here are some more facts about aphids:

  • Aphids can live a several weeks up to several months.
  • Females can reproduce asexually (without males). This only happens in the springtime. During the fall they produce babies sexually.
  • Stinging wasps, ladybugs, lacewings, pirate bugs, crab spiders, and big-eyed bugs are great to have around since they like to eat aphids.
  • Aphid feed off plants during the daytime and nighttime.
  • These bugs go through three life stages: egg, nymph, and adult.
  • Some aphids can make female soldiers. The reason these aphids exist are to watch over and protect their mother.
  • Aphids are very small and grow from 0.04 to 0.39 inches long.
  • Aphids feed on plants by sucking up sap from leaves, stems, roots, and buds. The sticky drops that are left over are called honeydew.
  • Ants love honeydew and will protect aphids so that they can continue to benefit from the honeydew.
  • Sometimes aphids will give birth to winged aphids, but only when these winged pests are needed to find other plants to feed off of.
how to get rid of aphids on plants, how to get rid of aphids, aphids, leaves, pests

How to Get Rid of Aphids on Plants

Now that you know a little more about aphids, here are some ways to get rid of them. I am only going to mention organic ways, since I love using natural and homemade methods.

Water and Soap

This is my personal favorite way to eliminate aphids. My husband and I have a water bottle that we use when our cats misbehave. When I spot aphids on my hibiscus and mini roses, I open the water bottle and drip a little dish soap in the bottle. I put the lid back on, shake the bottle, and its ready to kill some aphids!

Remove by Hand

You can also just remove aphids by hand. This can be tricky since they are so small. Put on gardening gloves and you can pinch the aphids off your plants or use a brush to get rid of them this way. You can also prune the branches where the aphids are hanging out and put these in soapy water to kill them.

how to get rid of aphids on plants

This method is doable with a few aphids. It may be too time-consuming to remove a bunch by hand though.

Natural Insecticidal Soap

Insecticidal soaps are another option to get rid of aphids. No mixing is required and you can purchase these at your local gardening supply store or online.

Pressure from Water

Water pressure can reduce the aphid population in your garden. Use a water hose to get rid of the pests. Water pressure can hurt younger plants that are still establishing themselves in your garden, but this method works well with older plants that can withstand the pressure.

how to get rid of aphids on plants, chickadees

Animal and Plant Helpers

Bird Bugs

There are certain birds that like to eat aphids. These are chickadees, titmice, and wrens. You may or may not live in an area where these birds live, but if you do, make sure you have plants that these birds love to next in. These include abelia, hydrangea, boxwood, and other small trees and plants.

Insect Helpers

You can also attract insects to your garden that will help keep away aphids. Ladybugs are well known to keep aphids and other pests away from plants. These can be purchased from garden supply stores and online stores. Lacewings and hoverflies can also keep aphids away from your garden.

You want to plant certain plants in your garden to attract these insects. Plant herbs such as oregano, garlic, and catnip to bring in hoverflies. Lacewings and ladybugs love yarrow, mint, clover, fennel, and dill.

how to get rid of aphids on plants, how to get rid of aphids, get rid of aphids, herbs, oregano

Grow Food

Aphids don’t like the smell of garlic and onions. Have these around your plants or grow them where you don’t want to attract aphids.

Aphid Plants

You can also grow certain plants to attract aphids to one area of your garden, away from your prized plants. Grow plants such as asters, dahlias, cosmos, and zinnias that the aphids will happily use as food.

Natural Oils

Neem Oil

Neem oil works in a similar way as water and dish soap. Put some drops of neem oil in water and spray onto plants infested with aphids. Other garden pests will also stay away from neem oil, such as caterpillars, beetles, mealy bugs, leafminers,cabbage worms, and ants.

how to get rid of aphids on plants, essential oils, neem oil

Essential Oils

Certain essential oils can also work to keep away aphids. Place several drops of clove, thyme, rosemary, and peppermint into a spray bottle with water. Shake this solution and place on plants where aphids are hanging out.

Get Rid of Aphids

This list is by no means final. There are other natural ways to get rid of aphids. I hope you enjoyed how to get rid of aphids on plants. How do you get rid of aphids on your plants? Let me know in the comments section below!

Happy gardening!

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Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: container garden, container gardening, flowers, garden, garden pests, gardener, gardening, how to, how to get rid of aphids, how to get rid of aphids on plants, plants, urban garden, urban gardening

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Comments

  1. chas says

    May 2, 2018 at 10:25 pm

    Thanks for sharing, we get aphids every year and I use the soap and water trick – it works great! Thanks for sharing on To Grandma’s House We Go!

    Reply
    • Ann says

      May 3, 2018 at 3:41 pm

      You are welcome! I use to use just water, but I think water only made it worse. I love how inexpensive and simple home remedies can be. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  2. Green Fingered Blogger says

    May 4, 2018 at 8:37 am

    Good advice, and glad to see so many organic and natural options available. It’s so easy to provide food water and shelter in our gardens for the various creatures that will help control pests like aphids that there shouldn’t be any need to spray chemicals around, and you’ve shared several solutions that are not harmful for when there is a bit of a problem. #MyGloriousGardens

    Reply
    • Ann says

      May 4, 2018 at 6:45 pm

      Very true. At first, it might seem like the best solution is to use chemical sprays, but then there are the long term harmful effects they have on the environment. I love that my little garden has created a small ecosystem for other organisms to inhabit, even if some are unwelcome. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  3. Sophie says

    May 21, 2018 at 5:24 pm

    Yes, I agree with Paul…loving the organic tips here. I use soap and water or just my fingers tbh. I have quite a few aphids at the moment but I also have quite a few birds and other predators so I feel there is balance in the Old House garden. Thank you for linking to Mays #MyGloriousGardens, Ann. I can’t wait for you to guest host in June. X

    Reply
    • Ann says

      May 22, 2018 at 7:24 am

      Hi! I’m glad these tips are helpful! Hubby and I are trying to live as organically as possible. That is great that your garden has its own built-in pest control. I haven’t seen many aphids lately, but I’m sure they are bound to come back soon. I have a few critters that come around on the balcony from time to time, so I’m going to assume they help keep them away. I can’t wait to help with June’s linky party! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

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My name is Ann. I am a lover of God, flowers, cats, beaches, and my family and friends. Stop and smell the roses while you are here. And even learn to grow your own! Welcome to my blog! Read More…

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