How to get rid of those pesky aphids in your garden

Aphids could irritate you endless if they infest your garden. They are small, pear shaped insects that eat up all the leaves and if you leave them to themselves, these little suckers can cause a lot of damage to your garden. This is why you should get rid of them before they cause any further harm.

Thankfully, there are many ways of freeing your garden from these pests. They are easy to carry out too so you don’t have to worry about it much. However you must take care to keep looking for aphids every now and then. It is better to kill them at the start instead of waiting for them to eat away half your leaves before taking action. Aphids generally can be found on new flowers, under leaves – that are curled or twisted.

If the infestation has just begun, you’ll see very few clusters of these pests and you can remove them easily. You can simply handpick them and remove them – always be sure to wear gloves if you are following this method. One more way to get rid of them is to use water. Spray your plants, especially the infested area with a sharp blow of water to eliminate aphids. The leaves that have already been damaged should be cut off. You could try using sticky traps to conquer the flying pear shaped pests. This doesn't always work in the heat of summer.

Why not make a pesticide all by yourself and spray it all over your garden. First, you should be spraying it over the aphids directly. After that, you can spray it all over your garden. You only need a cup of vegetable oil, dishwashing liquid – about 1 tbsp and one cup of warm water.

Along with all these measures, you can choose to add insects to your garden that feed on aphids. Ladybugs are a great example. Avoid planting trees and plants that attract aphids. These may include birch trees, Roses and chives. Keep ants away from your garden as ants help aphids grow. They are also known to fight off ladybugs from aphids.

If the infestation is severe, then you might need to take the aid of pesticides to get rid of them. Bonide Bio-Neem, Bonide all seasons and Bayer Advanced can be used. All you have to do is, follow the instruction leaflet that comes with the pesticides and get rid of them easily and effectively.
There you go! Get rid of those pesky brats now!

This Article was written by Peter Roy. Peter has been doing garden design in Auckland for the last tens years. He also offers a full garden maintenance service.