Some bugs in your garden are beneficial but some can destroy your garden, like aphids. First off, what are aphids? Aphids are soft bodied insects that
will suck the sap out of plants in your garden causing significant damage. They
reproduce very quickly and can cause the spread of viruses, compounding the
problems in your garden. Unfortunately, they can produce so quickly that by the
time you notice, they have infested your whole garden. This is why it is important to get rid of aphids at the first sign.
Fortunately, there are ways you can remove them safely and
we will discuss several of those here. There are commercial chemical
applications that will address the issue of aphids however, we often plant our
gardens to avoid the pesticides that often come with buying commercial plants
and vegetables. Here, we will focus on organic methods to get rid of aphids.
Get rid of aphids using Soap and Water Mixture
Use 2 table spoons of castile soap per 1 gallon of warm
water. You don’t want to just blast all of your plants because you will also
kill off the beneficial insects. The best way to apply the solution here is to
use a sponge and apply to the leaves. Make sure you get under the leaves too
because aphids will often lay eggs under the leaves. To add an additional weapon to your arsenal for killing aphids, add vinegar to your soap and water solution. This combination is deadly to aphids, but is also deadly to other insects that you want in your garden so spray sparingly.
Use neem oil to get rid of aphidsÂ
Neem oil is useful in not only killing aphids, but also
mosquitoes, cabbage worms, and other pests. You will want to use ½ tsp of neem
oil and ½ tsp of dish soap to 1 quart of water. Mist your plants in the morning
with a garden sprayer.Â
Attract beneficial insects
One of the easiest ways of controlling aphids is by attracting beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewigs using a insect house. These insects feed on aphids and the easiest way to quickly get ladybugs is to buy live lady bugs.
Plant fragrant herbs
Another easy way to control aphids is by planting very fragrant
herbs such as garlic, chives, or oregano. These plants will naturally deter aphids.
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