Controlling Aphids and Ants with Organic Pest Control methods

Aphid outbreak on a protected
balcony garden

The warm weather in South East Queensland lasted well into April this year. That is one reason it is so good to grow many vegetables year-round up here. Having said this, it also seemed to help some of the pests who took a liking to the conditions.

The Aphids seemed to thrive in the undercover, potted and warm conditions. We did eventually get rid of them (and the ants) after they had destroyed one perennial basil and did a bit of damage on the chilli and snake beans also. It ended up being a combination of manual removal and sprays that did the trick. One of the advantages of a small garden is the viability of manual removal. Some of the sprays used and researched are given below - I am sure you will find something to do the job of beating the aphids in your garden.

As you can see from the close up images, the aphids bunch around and feed on the tender shoots and the underside of leaves of the chilli plant. The ants follow them to feed on the honeydew they secrete. They seem to work together as the aphids shed skin and grow up to 5mm while the ants provide mobility and dig into the soil at the base of the plant.

Manual removal is the best method for a balcony garden. Spending 5-10 minutes a few times a week and scraping them onto paper before folding the paper was the single best measure. You can see the result of this below - dead aphids with no sprays. Temporary relief was obtained by spraying the underside of leaves with water to remove them - another 100% organic method that can be used in larger gardens also.

Jeff Gillman's book "the truth about organic gardening" claims the best measure apart from manual removal is a garlic spray. While not an insecticide, it acts as a strong aphid repellent. Although I did not use it this time, it seems to be true for a number of pests. It is a good alround choice as it does the least damage to good insects and is generally safe to use.

Best organic methods for controlling aphids

Obviously the problem is the aphids as the ants will not stick around once they are gone. So removing them from or applying sprays to the underside of the leaves is the priority. My preference is for manual removal (for small gardens and pots), then try a garlic spray and then a plant based white oil.

The Gardening Australia folk advocate spraying early the morning to minimize any damage to plants and other beneficial insects. In this fact sheet, Jerry Colbey Williams suggests making your own white oil although I do not like the sound of any dish washing liquid being sprayed on plants even if it is a clean brand. Spraying early is a very good idea for warmer areas especially.

If you want to buy your white oil, the good stuff is not cheap. I did have the standard petroleum based spray you can find everywhere, but obviously wanted the plant based alternative which I found at the local bunnings for $19 (see above). This did seem to work as good as anything, but for the price, it would want to. This blog is all about organic gardening success on the cheap, so try some of the home made remedies first.

Another Queensland gardener, Annettee Mcfarlane, likes Chilli spray for aphid control. In her book successful gardening in warm climates, she recommends combining the chilli in 1L of water with 5g of pure soap before straining. Be sure to wear gloves and eye protection if spraying this! Some pure soap would also be added to a garlic spray mixture if you opted for a garlic concoction instead.

Pyrethum

Although I have tried the amgrow organix brand (and still may use it as a quick fix emergencie), I did not realize at first how toxic this is to other insects and pets. It goes to show that even things marked organic are not necessarily safe all the time. Most of the organic experts are not advocating its use as anything else but a last resort for aphids. When using it would be best applied at sunset only.

Find Out More...(links open in a new window)

Gardening Australia fact sheet

                                                                           

Comments

[residential landscaping]

I'm so excited!!! Thanks so much for your hard work.

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[Hotjobs]

Interesting site, always a new topic .. good luck in the new 2011. Happy New Year!