I'm having a terrible problem bringing bugs indoors on cut flowers from the garden ... this includes ticks which is a major issue -- not to mention the pesky flying insects and spiders and earwigs ... does anyone have a solution to this problem short of not bringing flowers into the house???? Not just peonies, all flowers ...
I have been lucky in that I have not had too much problems in the past with insects and stuff on flowers. I do get ants and I just have to pick them off as they scurry out. I have had aphids on my Autumn joy blooms and I dunk the whole flower head in a bucket of soapy water and all the aphids kind of float off, and then I rinse the flowers off. The blooms are strong enough to withstand that treatment without any problems. My main problem is with slugs and snails munching on the flowers before I pick them. I do spray my plants periodically to kind of wash them off in areas where I have soaker hoses and we don't have summer rains here. That may help keep the insect population in check.
Huh -- I guess no one has this problem but me!
I usually give the flowers a good shake before they come in the house and a dunk in soapy water like Dianne suggested. Sorry, not much help!
I'm trying cutting them in the morning and spraying with the hose ... soapy water is next ... thanks!
I don't have a problem with any bugs other than ants on my lilies. I just spray with water and pinch them as they run off. Hope that works for you cause you just gotta have fresh flowers in the house.
My house is filled with lady bugs and spiders. Yesterday a HUGE bumble bee flew out of the dahlia arrangement at the dinner table. He must have been in there 2 days!~
If i dunked my flower heads they wouldnt like it!
I have the problem also,Crock.
A.
Well cutting in the morning and spraying with the hose seems to have helped somewhat ...
