Natural Methods of Controlling Aphids in Your Garden
by John Yazo
Aphids can be a problem to many plants in your garden. The are a soft-bodied insect that are between 1/32 to 1/8 inch in size and use their piercing sucking mouth parts to feed on plant sap throughout the spring and summer months. The most commonly caused problem by aphids is their excessive production of honeydew. This is a sticky substance that drips onto the plants leaves and stems. Once on the plant it becomes covered with a black sooty mold. You may have also noticed this same black substance on your patio, outdoor furniture and cars that are parked under trees that are infested with aphids, it covers them with this sticky fluid. Even though plants may have a bad appearance from this growth of sooty mold, this fungi won't damage the plant. Once you have the aphids under control and they are eliminated, the sooty mold most often will dry up and falls off of the plant.
Not all plants will react the same from aphid attacks. Some plants wont show any adverse response to aphids, while others can react with twisted, curled, swollen leaves or stems. Aphids can move from one plant to another and it is possible for them to carry plant diseases to other plants.
Aphids are not difficult to get rid of, finding them can be the hard part. There are many different methods that you can use to get rid of them without the use of chemicals, natural methods are a lot safer you both you and the environment. One method is as simple as a spray bottle and some water. Look under the leaves and see if you can find any forming infestations, if you do simply take a spray bottle full of water and spray. Just keep spraying with plenty of water until you wash them completely away. This method sounds to easy to be true and when your plants are infested to a point where you can't keep them away by that method there are beneficial insects that can be used to do the work for you. Insects like ladybugs, green lacewings and aphidoletes or minute pirate bugs.
Natural methods of pest control are the safest way to control pests in your yard and garden. Creating an environment for beneficial predators will greatly benefit your organic garden.
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