Let us have a guide on how to Get Rid Of Aphids On Houseplants at the beginning of this article. You can use water, liquid insecticide, neem oil, household insecticide, alcohol and chemical sprays to control aphids on houseplants. Aphid is a kind of sucking insect from the Aphididae family. This group includes almost 5000 species, several hundred of which may be troublesome for agriculture and horticulture. Aphids are among the most famous pests of houseplants that attack many plants and flowers, and if they are not dealt with, they may completely dry up the plants. There are many ways to get rid of aphids. In the following, we will examine home and chemical methods to control aphids on houseplants together.
The characteristic feature of this pest is that it is a sucking insect, and it multiplies quickly, and by forming large colonies on plant tissues, it starts feeding on plant sap. As a result, it weakens or dries them after some time. Another problem caused by aphids is that as a result of their activity, masses are attracted to potted plants to use the sap of the plants extracted by aphids, and sometimes it has been seen that a kind of symbiosis and cooperation between aphids and ants is created.
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Anyway, the accumulation of aphids and ants on the pots is not something that any flower and plant keeper would like! Therefore, every keeper of potted plants should know all kinds of methods of how to het rid of aphids on houseplants and take the fight against these pests seriously.
Get to know the different types of aphids
Aphids are insects of the Aphididae family, and it can be said that these insects are the biggest pests of cultivated plants and cause major problems not only for potted plants but also for all types of agricultural and forest plants. The variety and number of aphid species are very high, so the number of species of these insects reaches about 5000 species. Of course, not all species are plant pests, but 100s of aphid species are known as pests.
In terms of shape, size and color of aphids, they are different due to species diversity. But the common types that attack houseplants are smaller than 3 mm and have a color close to green or yellow. As we said, methods of combating pot plant aphids are among the most famous plant pests. And if you grow flowers and plants at home, the possibility of your plants being damaged by these harmful insects is high. So you should be familiar with different methods to Get Rid Of Aphids On Houseplants or preventing plant from getting infected.
The most important and common ways to get rid of aphids on houseplants are as follows:
In the following, we will first teach you the methods to prevent such a problem in your plant, and then we will examine the methods to get rid of aphids on houseplants.
Preventive methods in the fight against aphids How can we prevent aphids from appearing in our plants? It is a question that we will examine together in this section.
Choosing healthy potted plants
The healthier the plant, the less it is attacked by various pests. So, if you are more careful in choosing your potted plants from the beginning and buy healthier plants and flowers, you have somehow prevented future problems caused by pests.
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So being healthy or keeping potted plants healthy is an effective way to prevent pest attacks, and prevention is always better and more affordable than fighting pests.
Instead of fighting aphids, you can prevent problems caused by aphids by choosing healthy plants to grow.
Removing infected plants
Aphids can spread from one pot to another, infecting more of your flowers. So if only a few of your pots are infested with aphids, one of the first things you should do is:
Separate the infected flowers and plants from others and clean them in another place. By doing this, you will take preventive measures and prevent the epidemic and uncontrollable proliferation of aphids among your potted plants.
how to get rid of aphids on houseplants?
Now we will go to the methods helpful in eliminating apartment plant aphids.
Washing plants to eliminate aphids
One of the easiest ways to get rid of aphids on houseplants is to spray potted plants with water. By doing this, many aphids are separated from the plant tissues and thrown away. You can use regular water hose pressure or use a variety of home car washes available on the market today. Of course, you have to adjust the water pressure to not damage the plants. If you think your flowers are very vulnerable and thin, using other methods mentioned below is better than spraying water under pressure.
Use of sticky traps
As we said, aphids live in masses and colonies, so if you get tapes or sticky sheets from gardening stores and hang them around your potted plants, you can trap a lot of aphids. Adhesive traps or pheromone traps can be used to get rid of aphids on houseplants and fight other types of plant pests. This method is one of the cheap and hassle-free methods that can be said to have the least environmental damage.
Pruning the plant
Another way to get rid of aphids on houseplants is to completely remove the plant’s tissues that have become a place for these pests to accumulate away from the plant. Because in many cases, the attacked parts of the plant are severely damaged, and it is better to separate them from the plant to prune the plant and throw away the aphid colonies.
Use of conventional insecticide
One of the other easy ways to get rid of aphids on houseplants is to use common insecticides, and this method can also be somewhat useful. You only need an insecticide, which you can buy from most stores in the city, and periodically spray it towards the aphid colonies. After a few minutes, you will notice that many aphids have fallen off the plant and been killed. Of course, there is also a possibility that the insecticide does not have a lethal effect on the aphids in your pots, and you do not get the desired result with this method.
Homemade insecticide solution to kill aphids
You don’t need to use chemicals and pesticide to get rid of aphids, and maybe it’s better not to put yourself and your family members at risk of poisoning and instead take an easier method; This easier method is to use homemade solutions.
To make a homemade insecticide solution, mix the extract or powder of garlic, onion, or hot peppers with water and spray on your plants.; This will keep aphids and other insects away from your plants. Because the mentioned materials are undesirable and unbearable for most insects, you can even dilute a regular household detergent with water and spray your plants instead.
This work can also effectively fight against aphids and other insects. Of course, when using household solutions and detergents, you must use the right concentration to not harm your plants.
Using insecticidal soap
You can use another organic method to get rid of aphids on houseplants. You don’t have to resort to chemicals and pesticides. Use an easy and effective method without risking your health. Mix a few spoons of liquid dish soap with some water. Then spray this solution on the leaves, stems and buds of flowers and plants or wipe it with a clean cloth.
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Don’t forget that aphids usually like to hide under leaves. Then spray the underside of the plant leaves. Repeat this every two or three days a week until you are sure no aphids are left on the plant.
Use alcohol to kill aphids
If the number of plants attacked by aphids is small, you can also use alcohol to get rid of aphids on houseplants. For this, you can spray the alcohol solution on the flowers or use a handkerchief to apply alcohol to the parts of the plant where the aphids have gathered. Alcohol can effectively destroy aphids and other types of insects and plant pests due to its pungent smell and strong antiseptic properties. But if the number of your infected plants is high, using alcohol will not be very economical.
Spraying to eliminate aphids of houseplants
If you are in a hurry to get rid of aphids on houseplants or have not got much results from other methods, you can try the spraying method. For this purpose, if you have a household sprayer, you just need to buy the right pesticide to kill the bugs in your pots from gardening stores, dilute it with water according to the instructions, and spray it towards your pots. If you don’t know how to spray yourself, get help from a sprayer. But considering that decorative home plants are mostly kept in closed and indoor spaces, you should be very careful in this method so as not to endanger your health and family members. In general, try not to include spraying among your priority methods in the fight against pot aphids.
Neem oil to kill plant aphids
One of the most effective ways to kill plant aphids is neem oil. This oil is an organic product. Use the oil according to the instructions. In addition to its insecticidal properties, neem is antifungal and has systemic benefits. According to the Environmental Protection Association, this oil is safe for vegetables and edible plants.
Use vinegar to kill aphids
Vinegar is a cheap and safe way to save flowers and plants from aphids. Aphids love sour smells. So put some vinegar in a container near the flowerpot or garden. For better results, add some sweet food to the vinegar to create a sticky state and provide an excellent bait for the aphids. In addition, mix some vinegar and soapy liquid and spray the final solution on the leaves of the plants. By repeating this, the aphids move away from the flower and plant.
How do aphids damage plants?
Aphids spread quickly and are highly mobile, meaning they move quickly from plant to plant. In the open space, the colony of aphids is noticed by ants. Because ants feed on honey-like liquid secreted by aphids. According to researchers, ants carry aphids to new plants. Indoors, aphids move between plants by flying or crawling.
Aphids damage growing plants by sucking nectar. Aphids gather at the ends of growing plants and attach themselves to the soft, green stems of the plant. As a result, the plant’s new foliage may appear small and wrinkled, and aphids are usually visible around the stem. If the pest is severe, the leaves of the plant will fall. Finally, the liquid secreted by the aphid can cause fungus and mold to grow.
What are the symptoms of flower and plant aphids?
One of the symptoms of flower and plant aphids is that the leaves or stems are covered with a sticky substance. The sticky substance on the plant indicates that the aphids have sucked the plant’s sap. This sweet sticky substance causes other insects like ants to be attracted to the plant. Also, the remains of aphids on the plant cause the growth of fungi and molds in the pot, eventually turning the foliage of the plant or tree black. Also, the flowers and fruits of the trees turn black and change their shape due to the feeding of aphids. Aphids also attract ladybugs, which is one of the signs of the possible presence of aphids in plants.
Final comments on how to get rid of aphids on houseplants
Like other plant pests, there are various methods for Get Rid Of Aphids On Houseplants.
Many of them can destroy these pests efficiently. But the important thing in fighting against pests like aphids is to start fighting against pests in time to prevent the problem from spreading and causing more damage to ornamental plants. The sooner we start fighting pot aphids, the better the chances of saving the plants