From spring they are active again: the aphids. Above all, dry, warm air attracts them to the plants. There they suck out the plant sap and weaken the growth, which can lead to their death. Chemical clubs should be avoided for the sake of the environment and your own health and natural home remedies should be used. This includes coffee and coffee grounds. But does coffee grounds help against aphids and how are they used? There are answers below.
Does coffee help against aphids?
Yes. Experience has shown that the residues, which are produced in tons every day in German households after making coffee, actually work against lice and especially against Aphidoidea. This is mainly due to the main component contained in the coffee ground. The prerequisite is that the coffee residue is properly prepared and used.
Suitable coffee ground
Nowadays there are countless types of coffee, ranging from conventional machine coffee to cappuccino and espresso. Scientific tests show that coffee grounds still contain bioactive substances that are released during coffee roasting. An exception is the espresso from the espresso machine. With this type of coffee, there are no significant residues in the coffee base because these are transferred to the brewed liquid. This means that espresso is not suitable for fighting lice, but all other types are, because the most important substance is still demonstrably present at four to eight milligrams per gram of coffee ground. Of course, it depends on how "strong" the type of coffee is.
ingredients and effects
The most important ingredient for the aphid is caffeine. In humans, caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and, by entering the bloodstream, causes the heart to work faster. If it hits the pests, which are only a few millimeters in size, a few milligrams of caffeine are enough to develop into a neurotoxin in the body. In other words, it shuts down all bodily function and the lice die of organ failure and asphyxiation.
The "poison" penetrates the lice through the skin, breathing and body openings. In the case of coffee grounds, the least amount of caffeine enters the body of the louse through inhalation. Because a promising fight against these pests can take a long time in this way, the coffee grounds should be used accordingly, in which the caffeine gets directly into the body.
preparation
It is not enough to simply spread the grounds on the potting soil around the plant after the coffee has been brewed. A decoction must also be prepared to be sprayed on the plant so that the lice on it have direct contact with the caffeine. Manufacturing works as follows:
- After the coffee has been prepared, top up the coffee grounds with hot water again
- collect liquid
- Pour through a fine-mesh sieve
- Let the brew cool down
- Coffee ground contains hardly any caffeine, so it can be disposed of
tip: It is advisable to alternate between making coffee grounds and coffee brew. In this way, the maximum possible effectiveness is achieved and the aphids die off correspondingly faster if they are sprinkled with caffeine from above and the caffeine from the coffee also rises from below.
Use coffee grounds against aphids
coffee powder residue
- After the coffee has been brewed, allow the coffee base to cool down
- Never use wet/damp as there is a high risk of mold
- Distribute cold, dry coffee grounds evenly over the surface of the soil
- Duration of action around two days
- Then work into the soil (acts as a fertilizer there)
- Repeat at least over a ten days
coffee grounds
- Prepare as previously described
- Use the cooled brew quickly
- Pour into a spray bottle
- Spray the plant until dripping wet
- Spray especially stems and under the leaves (this is where the lice usually sit)
- Repeat every two days
tip: If there is anything left of the coffee brew after the injection, the coffee grounds spread on the floor can be lightly sprayed on the surface. This is a kind of refreshment, whereby it is important to ensure that only the surface is wet to minimize the risk of mold.
alternative
If tea is preferred to coffee in a household, it can be used as an ideal alternative for coffee brews and grounds.
That is how it goes:
- Prepare two teabags of black tea with one liter of boiling water
- Leave for 15 minutes
- Let cool down
- Pour into a spray bottle and continue as described under "Coffee brew".
- Cut open brewed tea bags and use contents in place of coffee grounds as previously described
Suitable plants
The use/application of coffee grounds and coffee brew is an ideal control method against aphids for all plants and also helps against other types of lice. It is irrelevant whether it is a pot or container plant on the balcony or terrace or a plant planted in the garden bed.
preventive measures
It does not require an existing, current aphid infestation to use coffee and the caffeine it contains against it. It is also used for prevention, with a treatment once a week. In this way, it not only keeps lice away, but also keeps other pests, such as snails, at bay.
