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There are numerous effective home remedies that can be used to combat aphids. The list shows you the 9 best recipes with detailed instructions for preparation and use.

In a nutshell

  • environmentally friendly and non-hazardous alternative to chemical products
  • are in no way inferior to chemical products in terms of effectiveness
  • Home remedies are usually also suitable for prevention

Recognize

Before an effective home remedy is used, it must be ensured that the existing pest infestation is also aphids (Aphidoidea). Different characteristics therefore allow a clear identification.

Look

  • Body size: between two and three millimeters
  • Body color: white, white-cream, transparent, green, yellow-greenish, brownish or black
  • Body shape: plump

Typical behavior

  • often form colonies of hundreds or thousands
  • like to sit on buds and undersides of leaves
  • accumulate on plant stems
  • prefer dryness and warmth
  • active from spring
  • usually only affect weakened plants

Plant damage

  • curled and stunted leaves
  • drooping shoot tips
  • yellow leaf spots and leaf wilts
  • conspicuous bud drop
  • sticky, whitish honeydew on plant parts
  • Growth failure and instability
  • black mold formation on leaves possible later on
Plant damage: sticky, whitish honeydew on plant parts

baking powder

Baking powder is considered an “all-rounder” among home remedies for pest control. It is cheap, usually available in every household, quick to prepare and, above all, an effective home remedy.

Make sure that it is baking powder with baking soda in it. Only then are the deadly poison gases phosphine, methyl bromide and hydrocyanic acid present. In combination with other acids, the baking soda then has an organ-damaging effect through physical contact and inhalation. Organ failure ensues, leading to the death of the aphids. The effect occurs after about one to two hours and helps you effectively fight aphids.

preparation

  1. add 15 grams of baking powder per liter of water (equivalent to a heaped tablespoon)
  2. add a few drops of washing-up liquid and cooking oil (for better binding and durability on pests and leaves)
  3. stir well to dissolve and mix
  4. In case of severe infestation, the effect can be increased by adding a teaspoon of spirit

application

  • Pour the baking powder into the spray container
  • Spray direction: always from bottom to top
  • spray affected plants dripping wet - especially undersides of leaves and stems
  • Finally, to kill fallen pests, wet the area of soil around the plant
  • apply every other day for about a week

nettle brew

Nettle broth is a well-known plant protection product and an effective home remedy in the fight against aphids. It strengthens plants, making them unattractive to aphids. As a result, it prevents a heavy infestation and the resulting serious plant damage.

preparation

  1. Soak one kilogram of nettles in it for every ten liters of water
  2. leave for at least 24 hours
  3. stir several times
  4. Sift out nettles

application

  • Pour nettle stock into a spray container
  • moisten a clean rag and wipe off colonies with it
  • then spray the plant until dripping wet
  • Repeat at least every other day for a week

Tip: If there is already an extensive infestation, stinging nettle stock is only recommended in combination with other control methods.

fragrances

Aphids react to some scents by withdrawing. This method is particularly ideal for gently combating aphids on vegetables and herbs and keeping them at a distance over the long term.

Suitable scented plants:

  • Savory (Satureja)
  • Garlic (Allium sativum)
  • Lavender (Lavandula)
  • Marigold (Calendula officinalis)
  • Sage (Salvia)
  • thyme (thymus)
Lavender (Lavandula)

application

  • Plant scented plants as a bed border
  • place between particularly susceptible plants
  • Prepare as a tea and spray infested plants with it daily in acute cases
  • Water tea for prevention every two to three days

Tip: Do not forget that the pests need a way to escape. Corresponding gaps should be considered when planting, which can only be closed after control.

rock flour

Fine rock/primary rock flour is fatal to aphids if they ingest it while eating on the leaves or inhale the powdery substance. In both cases, the rock dust blocks the airways and suffocation occurs. But be careful, because the application can also mean death for other animal garden visitors. For this reason, this method should only be used if no other effective household remedy is available and ideally a close-meshed network prevents access for other livestock.

application

  • Water plants or use time with morning dew
  • Pour rock flour generously onto leaves
  • after two days spray off rock flour so as not to impede photosynthesis
  • If necessary, sprinkle again one day after hosing down
  • possible alternative: use of charcoal instead of rock flour
Source: dr Eugen Lehle, http://bodenlabor.de, Urgesteinsmehl, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

coffee and coffee grounds

Coffee and coffee grounds find use in numerous pest cases. Coffee grounds in particular are widely known as an effective household remedy. The caffeine acts as a neurotoxin on aphids. The organ functions then collapse when the body comes into contact with liquid coffee and death by suffocation from inhaling coffee grounds.

Any type of coffee is suitable. An exception is espresso, where only pouring/spraying is promising. The coffee grounds contain too little caffeine residue.

Preparation for watering/spraying

  1. Make coffee as usual
  2. Pour hot water over the coffee grounds again and allow to run into an empty container
  3. Cool down to room temperature

application

The coffee brew is sprayed on the infested plants and the soil daily until you have fought the aphids. This should be the case after two to three days at the latest.

use of coffee grounds

So that there is sufficient residual caffeine in the coffee grounds, they are used directly after the usual brewing process. It is also important to ensure that the coffee is not boiled too weakly. A dark coffee color promises a significantly higher effectiveness. Other things to consider:

  • Allow coffee grounds to cool and dry
  • Spread evenly on soil around affected plants
  • give fresh coffee grounds every two days
  • Repeat at least five times to be sure
  • suitable only for low-growing plants (otherwise inhalation will not work)

baking soda

Similar to baking powder, however, baking soda can also be used to combat aphids. Only the toxins mentioned under “baking powder” work here without the additional acids that conventional baking powder contains. Nevertheless, there is an equally effective home remedy with almost the same result. It usually just takes a little longer. The aphids then die from inhaling the toxins and entering the body upon contact. The prerequisite is that a sufficiently high dose is administered.

preparation

  1. at least 1.5 grams per liter of water
  2. Baking soda must completely dissolve
  3. Add a squirt of dish soap or cooking oil for better adhesion to pests and leaves
  4. alternatively: 100 milliliters of soft soap per liter of water
  5. Enhanced effect by adding 50 milliliters of citric acid per liter of water

application

  • Fill the soda lye into the spray container
  • Spray direction: always from bottom to top
  • spray affected plants dripping wet - especially undersides of leaves and stems
  • Finally, to kill fallen pests, wet the area of soil around the plant
  • apply every other day for about a week

Tip: Honeydew, a product of aphid excretion, attracts ants. You can then get rid of them at the same time with baking soda or baking powder containing baking soda.

rapeseed oil

Experienced hobby gardeners and home growers swear by the use of rapeseed oil to effectively combat aphids. Rapeseed oil is an optimal choice, especially in the case of an infestation of edible or fruit-bearing plants. The effect often occurs after just a few minutes. It is important that the aphids are covered with the rapeseed oil-water mixture so that it gets into the respiratory tract. There it causes adhesions and certain death by asphyxiation.

preparation

  1. Add three parts canola oil to seven parts water
  2. for better binding of oil and water, add an emulsifier, for example lecithin

application

  • fill into a spray container and spray the plant until dripping wet
  • If necessary, repeat the process after four days
  • only use freshly prepared
  • after successful application, remove oil residues from plants with clear water

soapy water

Soapy water is a real miracle cure when it comes to pest control. Like canola oil, it clogs the airways and suffocates the aphids. Because the density of soapy water is lower than that of oil, however, it takes longer for the pests to die.

preparation

  1. Approximately 100 grams of lubricant-free, core-free or additive-free hand soap per liter of water
  2. Soap must be completely dissolved
  3. for non-edible plants, add a splash of spirit

application

Infested plants are sprayed dripping wet with the soapy water. If alcohol is included, a single application is usually sufficient. Without alcohol, a repetition every two days is recommended.

thein

Exactly like coffee brew and coffee grounds, combating aphids works with tea and the theine it contains. It is well known that theine is nothing more than caffeine. Black tea has one of the highest tea contents with 30 to 60 milligrams per teacup (corresponds to about 125 milliliters).

preparation and application

  1. Use two tea bags per liter of water
  2. Prepare with hot water as usual
  3. Once cooled, pour into a spray container and wet affected plants until dripping wet
  4. Cut the tea bag open and spread the contents over the base like coffee grounds

frequently asked Questions

How to fight aphids if no effective home remedy is at hand?

If you don't have any of the home remedies mentioned in the guide, showers with stronger water pressure can help. This will give you a thorough wash off of the pests. Make sure, however, that you do not damage the plants with the water pressure. Repeat hosing several times on neighboring plants as well, then the aphids will lose interest in returning. If the aphid infestation is low, the problem has usually been solved. Otherwise, you can help again with one of the home remedies mentioned.

Should plant parts damaged by aphids be cut off?

That depends on the extent of the damage. Plants usually cope well with isolated leaf discolouration. But if you see a clear weakening of the plant and a third or more damaged leaves, you should definitely cut them off. Also examine the other areas and remove heavily infested plant parts as well, even if they still show serious damage. This will make it easier for the plant to regenerate.

Do aphids always have to be combated?

Not necessarily. Sometimes hunger drives them to strong, defensive plants. These then react with a rapid wound closure of the puncture sites through which the aphids want to suck their food. The result: they don't get enough and go away on their own. At the latest when you see an increase in aphids and yellow leaf spots, an effective home remedy to combat the aphids is advisable. You should isolate the plant so that the pests do not get on other plants.

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Category:

Garden pests