How to Get Rid of Aphids

Aphids are tiny, plant murdering bugs that exist worldwide but prefer more temperate climates. There are over 4400 species of Aphididae out there, with approximately 250 of them being harmful to fruit, vegetables, and flowering plants. These little monsters produce a lot and produce fast, so taking extreme measures quickly will prevent them from destroying everything.

Get rid of aphids in gardens or orchards with some of the following methods:

• Companion planting
• Dormant oil
• Neem oil
• Bacillus thuringiensis (BT)
• Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
• Insecticidal soaps
• Insecticidal sprays
• Yellow sticky traps
• Silver-colored mulch covers
• Introducing predatory bugs
• Encouraging birds
• Dusting with flour

Aphids are going to wreak havoc on the garden or the orchard, and absolutely must be dealt with effectively or they are going to destroy the plants. Keep reading to find out how to get rid of these common garden pests and keep them gone.

How to Tell If You Have Aphids

While there are so many that can look so different, these tiny bugs are nearly invisible to the naked eye so it’s better to look for the damage they are causing rather than trying to find them.

Look for these signs: 

• Curling, misshapen, stunted, or yellowing leaves. Also look under them for tiny moving bugs.
• Honeydew on the stems and leaves. Honeydew is a sugary, sticky substance produced as waste by bugs. It can also cause the fungal growth called “sooty mold” which makes branches and leaves appear black.
• Deformed flowers and fruits
• Galls (abnormal growths) appearing on leaves and stems
• Presence of predatory bugs such as mantises and ladybugs

Now, let’s learn how to prevent aphids.

How to Prevent Aphids

Preventing aphids in the first place is going to be much easier than curing them. Don’t wait until there are obvious signs of damage, get a jump on it and prevent them entirely. Proper maintenance of the garden or fruit tree orchard is going to be far easier and more beneficial in the long run, as it will help keep aphids and other plant-killing bugs away.

Here are some ways to naturally repel and hopefully prevent aphids in the first place:

• Plant strong smelling plants nearby such as:
  • Marigolds
  • Onions
  • Chives
  • Garlic
  • Mint
  • Catnip
• Plant hard-to-kill plants 
  • Kale
  • Collards
  • Mustard
  • Nasturtium
• Apply preventative oils and sprays
  • Follow the package instructions
  • Apply outside of the heat of the day
  • Reapply after rain
• Introduce predatory bugs
  • Either order them or encourage them to come themselves with favored plants
  • Don’t use a broad-spectrum pesticide if doing this as it will kill them too
• Yellow sticky traps
• Silver-colored reflective mulch cloth
• Plant under row covers
  • Once they start flowering, remove the cover
• Also control ants
  • Ants feed off of the honeydew produced by aphids and help protect them
• Encourage predators
  • Predatory bugs
  • Birds

If there aren’t detrimental bugs in the first place, there won’t be any to get rid of later. Always read the packaging for any chemicals and follow homemade recipes closely. It is also typically beneficial to test products on a small portion of a plant before applying to the whole thing, just in case it’s too strong.

However, sometimes they just cannot be avoided, especially in more temperate climates. In that case, it’s time to pull out the big guns and get to work eradicating them.

How to Get Rid of Aphids

Aphids reproduce quickly and without the need to mate and lay eggs. This means they can just start producing nymphs right off the bat, and really need to be taken care of as soon as possible or risk them getting everywhere, spreading diseases, and destroying perfect gardens. 

First of all, spray the plant with cool water to dislodge the aphids. After that, here are some remedies:

• Bacillus thuringiensis (BT)
• Insecticidal Soaps
• Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

Be sure to carefully read the instructions on the bottle, test on a small patch before the whole plant, and apply outside of the heat of the day. There are also more natural ways to get rid of aphids which might end up being more cost-effective in the long run.

Natural Ways to Get Rid of Aphids

Sometimes using harsh chemicals is not ideal or practical, especially on more fragile plants. Even when using more natural methods to get rid of aphids, be sure to spray the plant with cool water before applying the remedies. Many of these remedies can be made with things typically already within the house and are just as effective as store-bought versions of them, if not more.

Some natural remedies to get rid of aphids includes:

• Neem Oil
• Alcohol spray
  • 70% Isopropyl or Ethanol Alcohol mixed with equal parts water
  • 95% Alcohol mixed with 1.5 parts water
• Soap Emulsion
  • 5c Water and 1Tbs liquid soap
  • Can also include 1c Alcohol
  • Can also include a pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Can also include a head of crushed garlic
  • Reapply 2-3 times a week in the evenings 
• Dust the plants with flour

Unlike with other issues, using a more natural approach to dealing with aphids is fine. They are typically better for more fragile plants such as flowers or budding fruit trees too. Typically, they should be reapplied every few days, and especially after it rains.  

Conclusion

Aphids are common garden pests that can destroy plants quickly and in a single season if not taken care of. They can be identified as tiny specks crawling on the underside of curling, misshapen, stunted, or yellowing leaves of plants that aren’t supposed to be that way. 

Fortunately, there are methods to keep them at bay and eradicate them if they do manage to show up, many methods are actually DIY and can be done with things that are probably already laying around the house.

Living in Florida, we get these all the time on our citrus plants and my preferred choice to get rid of them is a combination of neem oil and castile soap combination as a spray. Good luck getting rid of them in your backyard!!