Aphids! Help!

[butterfly mom]

Despite my best efforts, the aphids are winning The Battle of the Milkweed. I sent away for lady bugs but they don't seem to realize that they are supposed to eat the little beasties. Donning disposable gloves so I can squish them is revolting, time consuming, and not entirely effective. Squirting them with water doesn't dislodge them easily. (Besides, won't they just crawl back up the stems?)

What more can I do? Help!

[Paul Cherubini]

Many methods of aphid control are described in detail here:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=198

[Mona Miller]

Despite my best efforts, the aphids are winning The Battle of the Milkweed. I sent away for lady bugs but they don't seem to realize that they are supposed to eat the little beasties. Donning disposable gloves so I can squish them is revolting, time consuming, and not entirely effective. Squirting them with water doesn't dislodge them easily. (Besides, won't they just crawl back up the stems?) What more can I do? Help!

The later it is in the evening, the more likely the ladybugs will stay around to eat the aphids. I've been battling aphids since spring this year. I finally got them under control. I had to cut back some of my tropical milkweed and spray it with Safer soap.

[Paul Cherubini]

Professional monarch breeders who rear 2,000+ monarchs per week like Edith Smith of Shady Oaks Butterfly Farm don't have to "struggle" to control yellow aphids. They know Malathion controls aphids far better than "safer soap" type products or horticultural oils and yet does not leave lingering residues that harm monarch caterpillars (or pets or amphibians and other wildlife that may be in your yard):
http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/ae78 ... orthoa.jpg
http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/ae78 ... orthob.jpg

[butterfly mom]

Many thanks to all of you who responded to my plea. Paul, the site to which you sent me was especially interesting and encouraging.

I had tried soapy water on butterfly weed earlier this summer and ended up killing part of the plant, probably because of doing it during the day and maybe using too strong of a solution. I may try it again and will also check to see if Lowe's sells ladybugs. That way, I won't have to pay the HUGE FedEx charge.
Meanwhile, I'll just keep battling.

Again, thank you!
... rita b
Garden Addict and Sometime Librarian

[Mona Miller]

I know it's not the time to cut back milkweed, but if you cut back the tops about 4 inches that helps. There are just so many on there, I cut back those that are covered. I also keep squishing and use the hose to wash them off, too. I don't use any pesticide stronger than Safer Insecticide soap, but I usually don't use it at this time since the Monarchs are laying. Butterflies are very sensitive to pesticides and so are ladybugs.

I've planted Nasturtiums in pots near the milkweeds. They are a trap crop for aphids and they seem to be helping. Someone on the list recommended them.

In nature, the Monarchs are on those aphid ridden milkweeds in the fall. I think the female Monarch probably doesn't have a choice. I just saw caterpillars today at the park on aphid ridden milkweed.

Someone I know in New Zealand has a fact sheet. I searched the Monarch New Zealand Trust and found this:
http://www.monarch.org.nz/monarch/wp-co ... -sheet.pdf
"Suggestions for companion plants include chives, coriander, garlic, marigolds (both Calendula and Tagetes species) nasturtiums, parsley, pennyroyal, poppies, pyrethrum, rue and tansy!"

[Mona Miller]

http://www.ghorganics.com/page9.html
Aphids:
I don't recommend the controls they have list under Aphids. One contains pyrethrums. Those don't wash away easily and stay on the plants a long time. Not butterfly friendly.

"Ants "farm" aphids often keeping them in their nest during winter, then bringing them out in spring and placing them on the host plant. (Mona's Note: I actually saw aphids down in roots. Now, I know why.) The ants eat the honeydew the aphids produce and move them from plant to plant spreading any diseases that are present. The honeydew favors formation of a black fungus known as "sooty mold." Control of the ants may often solve the aphid problem. Aphids abound in warm moist environments and will attack almost anything, favoring succulent new growth.
Predators: Green lacewings, ladybugs and their respective larvae have a voracious appetite for aphids. Larvae from the syrphid fly also consume aphids. Hover flies and praying mantis feed on aphids.
Repellent plants: Anise, chives, coriander (cilantro), garlic, onions, petunias and radish. Nasturtiums act as a trap crop. Aphids definitely prefer yellow flowers.

Squashing a few aphids around the infested plants releases a chemical signal that makes the other aphids drop from the plants and leave.
To foil aphids: flatten a square of aluminum foil around the base of plants to bounce light on the undersides of leaves. This also helps the plants in giving them more light.
Try a barrier of powdered charcoal, calcium dust or bonemeal to keep them away from your plants.
Stinging Nettle Spray: Aphids & Thrips - Cover 1 quart nettles with water, cover and ferment for 3 weeks. Mix 1 part nettle tea with 7 parts water. Spray.
Spread out a barrier of tansy around the base of the plant to stop those ants.
Use a spray made from a tea of tomato or potato leaves and water.
Chop 12 or so tomato leaves and 1 chopped onion in 1/2 cup of of 70% isopropyl alcohol for a few minutes. Apply the mixture directly on aphids with a cue tip or paintbrush.
A forceful spray of water is often enough to knock the aphids off the plant and may discourage the ants, well sometimes.
Put a bright yellow plastic pan in a strategic spot in the garden. Fill it a third of the way full with water. Aphids are drawn to the yellow color, land on the water, sink and drown.
A soap spray can be used to strip them of their protective wax coating, dehydrating them. Mix 1 tablespoon of Castile soap to 1 gallon of water, spray.
Garlic oil spray can kill aphids and other soft bodied pests.
A dusting of diatomaceous earth is lethal to aphids. Wear a mask when using DE.
Teas made from elderberry or rhubarb leaves can act as a deterrent. Oxalic acid is the compound present in these plants that makes a spray effective. It is poisonous.
Place banana peels at the base of infested plant. The peels give them a shot of potassium too!
Also See: Treatments: Horseradish, elderberry and yarrow tea.
For wooly aphids on apple trees: grow the trailing type nasturtiums training them to wrap up and around the tree trunk to ward off these pests. Very attractive too! Note: nasturtiums will specifically attract the black aphid while repelling others.

I've been putting out Terro bait. This is safe for other animals and Monarchs. This will help kill the ants who are farming the aphids.
http://www.terro.com/

[butterfly mom]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! What great ideas! I sure came to the right place for help. I'll definitely plant nasturtiums next year. For now, I'll start with the foil and maybe some bone meal.

... rita b
Garden Addict and Sometime Librarian -- and Aphid Killer

[butterfly mom]

I finally just dumped out a bunch of ladybugs on the ground at each of the three milkweed plots. Dunderhead here did it right after squishing the aphids so now the poor ladybugs are sitting around saying "Where's the beef?" The banana peels around the bottom of the plants are there as insurance.

This is a great group! Thank you.

... rita b
Garden Addict and Sometime Librarian

[Mona Miller]

I hope you released the ladybugs in the evening. I found out the hard way that they don't stay around if you release them in the day time.

I had so many aphids this spring that I ended up buying--I think 6 containers of ladybugs. There were no Monarchs laying in my area until late July this year so no Monarch eggs to worry about the ladybugs eating.

I put out more Terro yesterday. Those odorous ants are driving me crazy.

[applestar]

Professional monarch breeders who rear 2,000+ monarchs per week like Edith Smith of Shady Oaks Butterfly Farm don't have to "struggle" to control yellow aphids. They know Malathion controls aphids far better than "safer soap" type products or horticultural oils and yet does not leave lingering residues that harm monarch caterpillars (or pets or amphibians and other wildlife that may be in your yard)

Have you ever SMELLED malathion?
Also, I recommend reading this.