Little red dots on the leaves of a plant? The suspicion is that these are red aphids. The animals can infest both pure house plants and the plants in the garden. In both cases everything should be done to get rid of the pests. Fortunately, this can be done with simple home remedies and without much effort.
Red lice…
Before you can start to get rid of the red aphids, you should first be sure that it is actually an aphid infestation. The little beasts are also often confused with completely different nuisances - namely with the red spiders. However, the red spider is a mite species and definitely not aphid. It must therefore also be combated in a different way. It is not always easy to distinguish which plant pest is actually present. A clear indication of red aphids, however, are small white dots that are next to the animals. These spots are skin particles from the lice that are shed as the animals grow. If they can be spotted on a leaf between the red invasion, one can confidently assume that there is no red mite infestation, but aphids are at work.
Fight
Action should always be taken against an aphid infestation - regardless of which type of aphid it is. The animals can seriously damage a plant on which they have spread. The reason for this is their suction activity. The beasts feed on the juice of the respective plant. To get at it, they prick the leaves in particular. Sooner or later, an affected plant will be massively damaged in this way. The plant can also die from it. Fighting red lice is therefore urgently recommended. You absolutely have to get rid of them. There are special tools for this that are available in gardening shops. Or you can opt for an old home remedy.
home remedies
1. Nicotine
The neurotoxin nicotine is an extremely effective means of combating certain plant pests effectively. It is able to stop an existing aphid infestation within a few days. However, one should be aware that it has no preventive effect. After successful control, red aphids or other aphid species may reappear within a period of about six months. The control is based on a decoction containing nicotine and with which an infected plant is sprayed. Such a broth is very easy to prepare yourself. The following is required for this:
- cut tobacco or cigarette butts
- water
- soft soap
- old pot
- Heat source (kitchen stove)
- scissors or knife
- gloves
- spray bottle
- Sieve
The most important ingredient in aphid brew is nicotine. To remove it from the tobacco, it is boiled in water. Cut tobacco, such as that used by roll-your-own cigarettes, can simply be used as is. Alternatively, it is advisable to use cigarette butts. However, these should be broken up a little with a knife or scissors. If you want to avoid unpleasant odors on your hands, you should wear gloves when shredding. The tobacco is thrown into boiling water and should then simmer for at least ten minutes. Then let the brew cool down and steep for several days. Then it is sieved and filled into the spray bottle. Now only the affected plant has to be completely sprayed with it for about seven days.
2. Curd and soft soap
A solution of curd or soft soap is not quite as effective as a brew made from tobacco residues, but is still very effective. About 50 grams of soap are dissolved in one liter of warm water. After cooling, it is poured into a spray bottle and the affected plant is sprayed for several days. The effectiveness can be increased even further if two teaspoons of alcohol or spirit are added to the solution to combat the aphids
3. Nettles
Similar to the tobacco brew, a brew of nettles can also help to get rid of red lice. The brew is prepared in the same way as that made from tobacco residues. However, it is particularly important to wear gloves to avoid unpleasant skin irritation from the nettles. Incidentally, it is of particular importance here that the brew should sit for a maximum of one or two days after it has cooled down. If it stands longer, unwanted fermentation can occur. Important: Never apply the brew pure, only dilute it well.
nettle brew
More home remedies
In addition to the home remedies described above, there are a number of others, the effects of which are sometimes rated very differently. The principle behind it is always the preparation of a brew or a solution. This can also be made from fresh or dried oregano, tansy, wormwood, field horsetail, onions or garlic. Overall, all home remedies sometimes require a little patience. As a rule, they have to be applied over several days until success is achieved. If it is not there after a normal time of around seven days, you simply continue for a few days. In addition, one should be aware that aphids or red lice can reappear even after treatment. Then the only thing that helps is to repeat the respective control process.