Aphids.
We hate those little [insert explicative here]. They always seem to show up just when you think you’ve got rid of them, and then they reproduce like crazy and you’ve got an aphidocolypse on your hands. They vector disease, chew up your crops, and look nasty to customers.
The best way to keep from going aphid-crazy is to monitor often (two times a week at least), keep controls on hand, and rotate which ones you use every time you use them.
We’ve been battling an aphid population ourselves this past week, and we’ve put together a resource list for you so that you can stock up in advance.
Here are some of our favorite controls.
- Ladybird Beetles ($12.95 for 1500) Predator of aphids.
- Lacewings (~$8 for 1000) Predator of aphids.
- Aphidius wasps ($87.95 for 500) These are a bigger investment, but will stick around your system for a long time as a pilot population.
- Mycotrol (contains fungal spore of Beauveria bassiana)
- PyGanic ($70 for 1 quart) This is OMRI listed.
- Neem oil (~$20 for 1 pint of concentrate) You mix this at 1-2 oz. per gallon. Neem is best as background control.
- AzaMax ($78 for 1 quart) Best as background control.
- Marathon ($90 for 5 lbs) Marathon is a systemic granular control.
Forget to order something in advance?
If you forgot to get any controls and you know that the aphid population will get out of control by the time anything arrives, we’ve got a fix for you. You can use Dawn dish soap in a pickle, but it should be a last resort- soaps tend to burn plant leaves. Use it only in late evening or early morning to avoid burning! Mix 2 Tablespoons of soap to one gallon of water and use a spray bottle or a rag to wipe the leaves of plants.
More reading: for more information on aphids, their lifecycle, and damage, check out this article by UCDavis.