ok, got a question for you guys. Can water lilies get aphids on the topside of their leaves?
aphids?
yup.....
ok,,, what do i do about them? i washed them off, guess thats all you can do?
The thing I did to control them(I never really got rid of them that year) was to get everything under the water for a few days
I dropped everything to the bottom and I think it drown a bunch of them
I also moved all aphid plants from around the pond including my North Star cherry tree which didn't survive the move(I read cherry trees attract aphids)
To do it again I think I'd get a large tub or kiddie pool,put the plants in there temporarally, treat them in there ,clean and rinse them and put them back
But I'm no expert,I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will jump in
I just feel bad
I know how fustrating it is
There has to be something somewhere to control them
wow your a BIG help, cause i didnt even know water plants could get aphids.. this is a first for me!
Thank you soooo much for your help..
LeeAnn
I don't worry about them too much.....if I'm using a hose near the pond I may remember to rinse the aphids off. I generally only get them on plants that the fish can't get to, like because they're in a pocket or something.
Oh, yes, I had them a few weeks ago, too. I sprayed them off in the morning, sprayed them again in the afternoon, and again the next day. That seemed to do the trick, although I have seen a few tiny spots recently, so I'm keeping an eye on them.
Kathleen
There is a product called APHID X which claims to "100% safe for fish and plants". It is labeled for smaller ponds 1,000 gallons or less. I don't get why the pond sizing has anything do with it as you spray it on the plants. I used it last year in a 2000 gal pond (daredevil I know!) and it did knock the aphids off the water lillies. You have to reapply weekly. I had them pretty bad. The stuff smells, strong. Try azreno's approach first.
LOL You daredevil!
I guess it really depends how much they bother you, I never had them too bad hence my lazy approach :)
welp, ive been washing them off by hand the last few days, and they seem like theres fewer and fewer each day, so maybe im doing something right,, thanks to you guys for your big help!
LeeAnn
I use the hose method too....they are ugly but don't do too much if you keep on top of rinsing them off from time to time. You can also order ladybugs, which feed on aphids *they are available at a lot of nurseries and catalogs.
im trying to keep on top of them, seems to be working, (so far so good)...
ive seen ants eating them on the leaves, from the edges of the water line..
thank you guys, again for your help! ;0)
LeeAnn
Looking on the good side, they do keep ladybugs in your garden!
Not easy to do with water plants in a big area, but if I see some bugs on my apple trees, say, I will go find a ladybug and move it there. Very helpful little guys!
The ants won't eat the aphids, they eat the sticky secretion they leave behind...usually the first telltale sign that you have aphids is the seeing of ants.
hhmmm learn something new everyday, thats cool
thanks guys ;0)