How I control aphids

Aphids are one of the most common pests in the garden, weakening plants and spreading disease but you can fight back and learn some simple solutions to deal with them without reaching for the pesticide sprays.
Aphids can be a problem on many different plants in the garden but if you can manage your aphid problem early it can make a huge difference.

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[ChiChi]

Thank you so much Eli!!! I noticed a white aphid infestation on my dino kale this morning and was horrified 🤯 Your advice could not be more timely - about to storm the bed with my jet stream. I am a new gardener and really appreciate all of your videos 🤗

[ClaireRousseau]

I had a pretty bad aphid infestation on one of my nasturtiums, but since I planted them partly as a trap crop, I didn't worry so much about it. I just went and tried hosing them off, just to practice the technique on a plant I'm not counting on harvesting, and it worked super well. The plant is still past its best but now I should be able to harvest seeds from it to replant next year. Thank you!

[GardenerScott]

I completely agree! I don't worry about the pests in my garden. Awareness helps determine a plan. After squishing, I love that I see a few aphids on plants because I know ladybugs and lacewings will be on the plants a few days later. Great video!

[moonwrasse]

Great video, I don’t worry outside too much as nature will sort it out most if the time, but I had to resort to neem oil early in the season in the greenhouse as I had an Aphid problem. A lot of plants got very twisted and stressed. Neem sorted it out.

[carmengiles]

Thanks Eli. I believe it was one of your video's that I watched last year & learnt the hose-pipe method; it works a treat & is my go to method.
Like you, as soon as I spot ants on my plants I know the aphids have moved in, now I know why 😅

[cherylhowker]

I’ve had issues the last 2 years and now you have explained it I understand why. And why they start there and move to other plants.

It’s on old fruit trees that don’t fruit any more and it’s coz they drinking the sap. But they are so bad that the tree is suffering. So we have taken all the green leaves off and got rid of ithem.
But that explains why they are there in the first place. So I know now to keep all green off the trees- I hang bird feeders on the branches so don’t want to loose the entire tree. One we got rid of last year as it was like it and decided it had to go as affected the entire garden, but it’s also ment this year with the new design stuff we have done the tree had to go anyways. So it’s a good thing.

As you say it’s staying on top of it.
Thanks as always for explaining this in a better more understandable way. I personally appreciate it and come to your channel outta all if searching for something

[dustyflats]

SIL used soap spray on apple tree and left it on and she had spots develop on leaves. I usually don’t have aphids probably because it’s so dry. I do have potato beetles a plenty this year. I tried flor and baking soda to shake on, but that didn’t do it as the beetles were exploding and that’s after I squash a million eggs. Then I tried horticultural oil and that worked earlier on aphids that I had inside on seedlings, but not these. Then I pulled out Captain Jacks Spinosad And that did it! Thankfully as I have a lot of spuds. Haven’t seen any.

We got a half inch of rain last night!!! WooHoo🎉. And a small downpour this am. Watch the aphids move in😂😂

[thetinygarden_]

Great video Eli, very interesting! I had a real bad problem with black cherry aphid I left it alone hoping for a lady bird army to arrive naturally 😅 next time I'll have the hose at the ready, thanks for sharing 🌱🙃

[notionbonsai]

This was very interesting! Thank you for this! 😊

[oreopaksun]

I didn't think I was particularly bloodthirsty; but boy, it was so fun to watch a bird dive in and snack on my tomato hornworms. Peck, peck, peck! Go predators!

[ritalr]

I have had the ladybirds to help out in the garden. And i try and pick them off. Time to get out and water and check my plants

[margaretalice]

Years ago I got hundreds of green aphids on my lupin buds. I was going to spray before I did I watched small bird’s cleaning the flower spires clean Let the birds and beneficial insects their stuff first

[CSaville]

Last year my plants, particularly my chillis were infested with them in the greenhouse. I used neem oil and the RHS soap spray, sprayed them off everything I could and they still hung around. This year so far none ( I probably shouldn't have said that) I have noticed a lot of hover flies in the greenhouse this year and even some damsel flies. I shall probably now be set upon by a plague of locusts but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that last years bumper crop of aphids provided food for this years hoverflies. I'm going to build the biggest bug hotel I can this year! 😁

[JohnNaismith-ke]

I've used SB Plant Invigorator for years (nearly 20 now) on pests like this. Despite the dodgy sounding name its still the best thing I've found for spidermite infestations in greenhouses etc. I just use it as and when required although regular use is recommended. Its got some soap in there for a surfactant and a few other ingredients - concentrate bottles (250ml) never seem to go off. Won't work for whitefly though.

Tried Neem oil & frankly the aphids can eat whatever they like if my only choice is that - it takes forever to get rid of the smell if you spill even a drop!

[TheJlambe]

I had an infestation on my clematis a few weeks ago and used organic soap, veg oil and bicarb spray. Worked a treat. Would prefer not tobuse it on my veg though!

[marie-theresehayes]

Was away on holiday. When I came back one of my lupins had been completely destroyed by lupin aphids. Had to pull the plant as it was beyond recovery.

[carolinebown]

Great video as always ...
I was wondering ... is a soap spray any use on those beasties ( spotted them on my out doors Tomatoes this weekend 😮 ) 🪻🌷🌻🌻🌻

[cindynielson]

Thanks for all the great info. I did not realize that ants were good for aphids. 👍

[ninemoonplanet]

I didn't know that parsnip flowers are where ladybug larvae begin their lives, so this year I have those blooming, carrots coming into bloom, and lemon balm which doesn't have any aphids.
Tansy is a plant ants don't like, I don't have it this year, but I think I have a plant close to it growing.
It's called phacelia, attracts all the different predators as well as birds (according to what I read).

[lorelynleisure]

Ugh! I have a non-fragrant honeysuckle and from the time it was fully leafed-out it was covered with aphids this year! I haven't seen any ants surprisingly. I tried picking off all the stem ends covered with them and that didn't help. I have been spraying it with a jet spray from every angle about every 2 days and that has helped a lot. I'm still not seeing the humming birds I usually do but I'm hoping that it will reflower and the birds will be back. I plan to cut it back quite a bit this winter.