HELP!!!! Big Bug Problems

Hi all,
Hate to post such a downner subject, but I need help. My yard is surrounded by woods on two sides and about 100 feet away they have cleared about 30 acres to build houses. In doing so all the wildlife has moved to my yard. I am having a problem with Billions, and I mean billions, of white flies, aphids, big orange spiders, big banana spiders, plus rats and mice. they are eating everything. I have tried Triazacide, but that is not working. I spray the plants twice a day with the hose to try to rid them of the bugs, but they are back in mere minutes. I am in fear of drowning my plants. I have over 300 plants in pots. Please if you have any suggestions I would greatly appreciate hearing them I am all out of ideas.
Thanks,
Polly

Here are more pics of my yard

More Pics

and more

As you can see alot of my plant are Hibiscus and Brugs. I dont want to have to start chopping on them, but I will if it means thier survival.

One of our new residents...she is about 3 inches long. Beautiful, but I wished she lived somewhere else...lol

Gee, doesn't that big spider eat some of the other bugs?

What a shame. You have such a nice lot. I would hate to put a lot of poison all over it. Maybe the Bug Blaster that Cat was touting would help with some of the bugs. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/756962/

Polly
I have the Avid and Stirrup. I know it can be used on brugs, look to see if it can go on other plants as well. I'll bring them on Tues. when i get there.

me

I also use Palmolive soap mixed in water in a sprayer to kill off aphids. It works so well. You could try that until AuntAnne gets there.

I hope it gets settled down after awhile for you. Sounds like a lot of animals are misplaced now. Odd though that the bugs like aphids would flee.

Do you have any cats?

Ha! The worst that Beau (her cat) would do is love them to death. lol He's a lover not a fighter.

me

Is that your GH in the pictures? If it is it is going to be a nice big one. With as many plants as you have a large GH would be needed.

Beautiful yard. I would leave the spiders alone as they are the best organic for killing bugs. I love the picture of the orb weave spider. She is gorgeous.

I am deathly afraid of spiders, but if they are not in my way they can stay where they are. Especially this one. She is so beautiful. The ones that come in the house my Dennis use to put out. But now they must die. Outside as long as I don't have to walk thru the web everyone is fine. I have alot of small ones at the front and back doors. They are sucking the blood from the blood sucking mosquitos.

Sorry about the rest of your problem. Sounds like no snake around to take care of the mice and rats.

I raised a king snake in a cage until it was big enough to survive under my house and deposited him there about 2 yrs ago but I think he vacated because I saw a rat there yesterday that could have carried off my dog. I have been on this property for 10 years now and have never had a problem like this before, so I asked at my locale feed store and when I told them about the woods coming down they said that would cause it. As for the banana spider she is welcome...I couldn't get rid of her if I wanted to now. My 5 yr old grandson has taken up feeding her and would kill me if I did. God forbid I just hope she doesn't have babies...LOL
Here she is after my grandson AJ fed her.

And yes Pug that is my new GH. We built it last weekend. This weekend we get to cover it with plastic. It is 16 X 22 but will still not be big enough...LOL But thats all my hubby will allow for now. LOL
Polly

It looks great. I wish mine was that big, but at the time I got mine couldn't afford one any bigger, but I'm just happy to have the one I got. You will love it.

That greenhouse is going to be wonderful, I am so envious. I second Kell's recommendation of a dishwashing liquid sprayed all over the property. I usually use about 1 Tbs./gallon in a hose end sprayer. It gets rid of a lot of nasties. A horticulturist told me the generic lemon scented detergent works best but I generally use what I have on hand.

This is for you Sandy. LOL She is our latest *pet*.

I use Merit for whitefly and aphids, but recently heard that mites love it. Most of the time I only use it in the fall and the mites and bees are pretty much gone before I treat and bring plants in the house. Hope you can get rid of the critters, no matter how many legs they walk on. I ordered one of the bug blasters. I hope it will help with the mites on my brugs. They are covered this year. I've been pretty lucky with the hibs so far.

pmaggs, shoot your pic freaks me right out. All I can see is that little bug body all mummified by that spider. Can you imagine if that happened to us and you were still alive but unable to move and all sticky with that big spider licking its boney chops as it looked at you. ICK!!


Gee Ardesia, I had no clue they made spiders in PINK!

I think the spiders are gorgeous. I leave them alone. Of course if it was a black widow or brown recluse, they'd be in heaven withing a split second!!!!!

Brugie, let me know how you like the bug blaster, and, don't forget to wear shorts or a bathing suit~

ardesia She is beautiful and terrifying at the same time. I had one this year but when I noticed her she notice me and ran up the web. Never had one run when anyone was around. But then I have to admit since I have been pretty depressed I probably scared her to death. Next time out with the camera she was gone and so was her web.

Black widows are beautiful but far, far away.
And we have always had nests of brown recluse around the slab of our house. The live down in the dirt when it is dry and pulls away from the house. I just stay out of their way. They just better stay there or die. I don't want to use chemicals because we have green lizards, geckcos, Baby toads, tree frogs and a bull frog that lives in our yard.

Way back when I did use chemicals they all went away. Now they are everywhere.

Way cool spider pics!!!!

Good lord, 104 degrees weather and nasty bugs to boot, whats next?.....no don't answer that...LOL
I am going to try the soap and my sis is bringing me some stuff to fight the bugs so I will let ya'll know what happens.
Thanks for the help. I will post some pics when the GH is finished.
Polly
Now these are bugs I like...LOL

Me too. I had a butterfly today, I swear it was 3-4 inches in wing spread. I have never seen such a huge butterfly before!

What great butterfly shot. So pretty!

Thanks Kell,
I have alot of good critters in my yard as well as the bad ones. Thats one of the reasons I am afraid to use pesticides, I dont want to hurt the good ones.
Polly

me too. I use bug blaster and pesticidal soaps, but nothing that would harm my nature children. Of course, red ants are destroyed immediately!

Polly, you should tell that pretty self satisfied looking froggie to get busy and start eating them all.

Lots of praying mantis egg cases needed. You can purchase them on eBay.