I've been rooting multiple brug cuttings over the winter and several have aphids. I've washed them repeatedly and am beginning to wonder if you can ever rid a brug of aphids. Has anyone ever successfully beat them?
It's kind of weird, too, that only some of the cuttings attract the aphids and the others don't. They are right next to one another. Any advice would help! Thx.
Aphids again...
No help here, sorry. I have never totally won the fight- but have kept it somewhat under control this winter with numerous defense maneuvers. Joelle
I used dishwashing liquid, Safersoap, Neem oil, took leaves off, sprayed with Raid, finally looks like they might be in remission! Can't get plants outside fast enough!
Thanks! I tried dawn dishwashing liquid. Hadn't thought of Raid, but am willing to try anything at this point!
You raise a good point, Hibiscus, about getting them outside. Do you think the aphids would decrease once I get these boogers out there? I'm contemplating whether or not to keep them at this point. Thanks for your help!!!
Morph, have you tried 1 Tablsp each of Palmolive d/w soap and hydrogen peroxide in a spritz bottle filled up with distilled water. Works for those nasty gnats too. Jeanette
Palmolive soap is the only soap good to use in everything... as the commercial says: it is wetter than water. the reason why u get squeeky clean dishes. it means it is the only soap that can penetrate every surface [nook and crannies] of what Palmolive soap touches. pls. do not use dawn on ur plants. if u have to try other brand, find something that has lemon scent on it but not, never any anti bacterial soap either! bugs dislike the scent of lemon. jmo
I was begging for help with aphiids in my GH - Ahelms suggested Safer spray with seaweed from Lowes; it seems to be working.
Alternately. alcohol/water half and half helps.MaVie's advice sounds very good - I didn't know about the "brand" names.
I have found some Brugs more naturally aphid resistent than others; my Pink Beauty is very resistent, and V. Orange attracts every aphid.
EP is a favorite for them, too. My hats off to Pink Beauty - all her cuttings are really thriving.
Be VERY careful using Raid, spray up over plants and let spray fall, then get back a distance and spray underneath. It is WAY to strong to use as other sprays. Can kill your plants, if you spray too heavily! I had to keep after them every day or so. This year has been particularly bad, think the eggs must have been in the soil. I brought plants inside last Sept. Didn't get aphid, whiteflies and spidermites until February. Where did they come from?
I think that the plants are as ready for spring as we are, Gloria. I have aphids that just showed up last month after not having any all winter long. The plants are saying 'I want to go OUTSIDE and I'm holding my breath until I get mites or aphids if I can't go out!'
I agree that the plants want to go outside! Just where do those "bugs" come from!!
Bonnie
So glad to find this thread - I am totally freaked! I woke up this morning and looked at my Pink Beauties and they are COVERED with something awful - I'm thinking aphids - have never seen them before. I ran out to the sunroom and notice they are on most of my brugs and even gotten to the EE's! (I'd noticed something on my babies, but just thought it was residue from the whitefly infestion!)
So, please - can you tell me if this is what I have??? (They look like little opaque fleas.)
A grosser photo...
They look like aphids to me...
Although aphids are usually on the underside of the leaves....
I hope you find out soon sequee and are able to treat them...
The white specks look like they could be white flies....? and their eggs
Sequee....I would start a new thread with the second photo...maybe you will get more immediate attention with it...
They are sooooooooooooooo gross! Whatever they are, they're getting a bath tonight and then I'll begin the ordeal of wiping them down, leaf by leaf. I could just cry!
Looks like aphids to me! Take that baby to the sink and wash the leaves off. I know some have not had lasting luck with this, but I always do. I take palmolive soap and add it to water and spray the heck out the plant. Now I do this on my roses every spring for that is when I get aphids all over the new growth and buds. I usually just have to do it once. I would give it a try before you spray poison in your house.
Good luck!! Don't you just hate bugs.
Thanks! Will tackle it tonight. Thank God my boss is a big gardener, too! (He's actually the one who got me started!) He told me I could leave work early today so I can deal with this bug issue - whew! Gotta get started soon 'cause they're grossing me out!
No chem spray in my house! Too many fur babies. If this doesn't do it, these babies are out of the house! I have a little greenhouse I'll put up outside and pray that they stay warm enough, but I really have to get a handle on these before the rest of my seeds sprout and get infested! Geez!
I think we can all join in on the crowd here, I have a post "question on merit before I buy it" what to do about the aphids, I broke down and bought this stuff, I got it in a couple days ago, and the day before I got it in I sprayed with malathion, I don't do natural pesticides with the brugs, what's the use, we're not eating them, we might as well put the bad stuff on them Well, the day I got the merit in I had aphids all over someo f them again, I sprayed with the merit, and i use a 1 quart spray bottle from walmrt to do my spryaing with, it took maybe a pinch of this powder, less than l/l6th teaspoon for this quart bottle it takes l/4 tsp for 2 l/2 gal of wter, Ithought that's not gonna work, there's not enough poison to do the job, LOL well, their still gone 2 days later, and I'm watching like a hawk, it killed them right away. and the next day they were all dried up we'll see if they come back now, I sprayed every brug out there, under the leaves and on top. It ws quite expensive, but to get rid of the aphids, if it works, it wass worth everypenny
kathy
kathy_ann...I just found this web-site about Merit, use on roses....maybe others would be interested too!
"The active ingredient in Merit® is imidacloprid, a systemic, chloro-nicotinyl compound "...I wonder if it has nicotine in it??? the compound name sounds like it does...
This site on on the main ingredient in Merit looks good too...it says foliar spraying is the least effective method to apply...
http://www.umassgreeninfo.org/fact_sheets/plant_culture/imidacloprid.pdf
At least it is working. That is what you want, no matter how it is applied. I had read that drench works best also, but I only sprayed mine and no more aphids. Love it when something like this works so well. I chose to spray instead of pouring so much of it in the pots, but I did use what was left over and poured it in a pot. Couldn't tell they had been hit with anything as far as the leaves looked---minus the aphids.
It sounds like a great product....did you get it at a store or on-line???
Margie, that is what is in the Bayer Tree and Shrub, you pour 1 gallon mixed on your roots. I love that stuff!! It lasts a year in the plant's system. Too bad it doesn't kill mites too! But it says it gets whiteflies.
Great info you guys! I'm sooooo psyched to hear that I'll be able to lick this problen ASAP. I'm picking that sutff up on my was home tonight!
Thanks y'all, I've got to go home and start spraying.
Margie, I got mine at Rosemania. It goes so far. I don't know what would be the best bargain...the Merit or the Bayer.
O came in here looking for an answer to the aphid problem... I have overwintered lots of Brugs out in my sunroom and today I noticed Aphids by the kazillion... Where do they come from... ARRRRRRGGGG
I am heady on out to the drug store to get me some peroxide and palmolive... I can't use chemical stuff cause it is inside the house... Lordy I can hardly wait to put them outside... yikes. !!!
Thanks for all the info on getting rid of them...
Carolyn
Thanks everyone!!! Gonna try these ideas. My bugs look just like your picture, Sequee. I have them on top and on the bottom. I'll try the palmolive solution first (thx Jnette and MVR!) and if it doesn't work, them I'll try the merit & other chemicals. So frustrating!!! Maybe these like spring and that's why we're seeing them now?
This message was edited Mar 17, 2005 7:34 PM
I have only had mites so far....and I can only imagine the horror of aphids. The photos are UGLY, YIKES!
I wish you all well in the battle.
Jackie
2 hours later - everyone is bathed and sprayed. I called my Garden Center about the Merot and they were out, but she pulled me up in the computer to check what I've bought recently ~:-) and recommended I wash the leaves with soapy water, then spray them with the Bonide Whitefly/Mealybug spray. So that I did. Here are the Pink Beauties, post bath!
I did find that alot of leaves were falling off as I was handling them. Is this normal? Here's Jessie Noel x
And now, let us pray!
Yes, leaves falling off is normal at least in my case!
Good luck! If you see more, treat right away and hopefully your leaves won't fall off.
I did'n't realize I was suppose to pour this stuff into the pot, I thought I was just suppose to spray it on LOL, I guess that would work better putting it inthe pot and letting it soak upinto the tree. that's alot of pots to do though LOL I thought the spraying was bad enough No aphids still today. checked under everybody's leaves too, usually they hatch out every other day or so. and I have to spray again
Polly, I believe it was Sherry who suggested the Safers. I've never used the Safers as of yet.
Kathy, I only sprayed mine and never saw another aphid. I think spraying is the economical way to do it. The spray is supposed to be good for over a week and by that time, there should be no more adults left to lay eggs.
My cuttings aren't potted. I mixed up a solution in the sink and after washing off the critters, I soaked the cuttings in the solution. When I do plant these, I'm going to plant garlic right next to them. I read that the garlic (or chives) should help deter these boogers. Hope that will work!
At night when you go out to thrill in the waft of your Brugs blooming, they will smell like an Italian kitchen - LOL
ROTFLOL, Polly! I didn't think of that....
I LOVE the smell of an italian kitchen....like Martha would say " that's a good thing"! OK...maybe not mixed with the perfume of brugs! You can just make believe you are in italy!!! That's amoure!!!