The tiny little destructive insects known as aphids are a garden’s worst enemy. Once they begin to reproduce, they will quickly take over an otherwise healthy garden, eating and destroying any organic plant matter in their path. Whether you are a growing organic produce or just some decorative flowers and bushes, you need to know how to deal with these horrible creatures. The good news is that there are several effective ways for treating and preventing aphids in the garden. Keep reading and we’ll reveal some of the best all-around methods for dealing with aphids.
First and foremost, let’s take a closer look at what exactly aphids are. If you are new to gardening, this may be your first time hearing about them. Basically, aphids refer to the superfamily Aphidoidea, which is a type of small insect that feeds on organic plant matter to live. Also known as plant lice, there are approximately 4,400 species of aphids throughout the world. They are known as the #1 nuisance in the garden because of their destructive behavior and ability to reproduce asexually (certain species).
Spray Down Your Plants
If you see a colony of aphids cover plants in your garden, take a water hose and wash them on a medium-to-high pressure setting. You don’t want to blast the plants with so much force that it stresses or damages them, but there needs to be enough pressure coming out of the hose to blow off the aphids. Contrary to what some people may believe, aphids don’t climb back on the plants after being knocked off since they are usually paralyzed from the impact. This is a preferred method for dealing with aphids since it’s all natural and doesn’t involve the use of harmful pesticides or chemicals.
Encourage “Good” Insects
Want to know another way to ward off aphids in the garden? Encourage beneficial insects that eat actually feed on aphids. Ladybugs absolutely love to devour aphids, so try to encourage them in your garden by growing more marigolds and daisies. I’m a huge fan of ladybugs in the garden not only because of their desire to feast on aphids, but also because of the colors they bring. They are beautiful insects that most experienced gardeners love to have around their plants.
Create a Barrier
Sometimes all it takes to prevent aphids in your garden is to create a simple barrier. Most insects, aphids included, will try to avoid walking over highly acidic soil or material; therefore, a simple barrier you could make around your garden is a line of used coffee beans. Instead of tossing your coffee out in the morning, place it in a bucket or pitcher where you can slowly save it up. After a couple of weeks, take all of those ground coffee beans and make a trail around your garden. This should help to keep out a number of harmful insects and garden pests, such as aphids, slugs and even little field mice.
Ashton Michaels is a content contributor for Wood Splitters Direct. Ashton enjoys writing about gardening tips, outdoor events, and much more. He visits Wood Splitters Direct online for the best electric log splitters and more.
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I have to say that I have tried a lot of different methods to keep my garden pests free but not much of them proved very effective. I am very interested in the barrier part. It never occurred to me to do that I will definitely try that one. Maybe the most simple things work, who knows.