Where do aphids come from?

Aphids are one of the typical pests in the garden. Lice can even be found on indoor plants, and they can be quite stubborn. If the infestation is intense, the plants suffer permanent damage that is difficult to reverse. For this reason, it is important that you prevent aphid infestation. There are numerous home remedies and methods available for this endeavor, regardless of the type of aphid it is.

Aphids: causes

Aphids (Aphidoidea) are classic plant pests that can attack a large number of plants. Six species of aphids that have selected certain plants as a food source are characteristic of Central Europe. These include, for example, the large rose aphid (Macrosiphum rosae), which attacks roses, apples, strawberries and pears or the black bean louse (Aphis fabae), whose favorite plants are beans, beets, snowballs and potatoes are. However, the causes of aphid infestation are often the same:

• over-fertilized with nitrogen
• wrong location
• bad vitality
• Monoculture

In addition to these causes, it is above all the sensitive growths that often struggle with the lice. These include, for example, the garden honeysuckle, various herbs with fine leaves and the European pipe bush. Before purchasing a plant, it is essential to find out whether it is sensitive to the aphidoid. The other causes can easily be mitigated with proper care and preparation when planting.

Preventing aphids: 6 ideas

Based on the causes of aphid colonization, you can already see which methods are effective against the insects. Above all, it is important to strengthen your own plants or to hide them from the tormentors. If the insects have already made themselves comfortable on your plants, solutions such as spraying with soapy water can help. The lice like to return quickly because they are extremely stubborn. For this reason, it is advisable to prevent settlement. You can find 6 ideas on how to do this in this article.

Note: Since the lice infest a large number of crops, you should refrain from using chemical pesticides for spraying in order to prevent the insects. The pollutants in the remedies are absorbed by the plants and can end up in your body if you eat an apple, for example.

Establish beneficial organisms

One of the best ways to prevent aphids is that Settlement of beneficial insects. The insects are quite sluggish and cannot really defend themselves, making them easy targets for hungry predators. It is precisely this helplessness that is the reason for protection by ants, which can sometimes be another problem. Settle the following beneficial insects, because with their help you can prevent lice efficiently and naturally:

• Ladybug
• Hoverfly larvae
• Lacewing larvae
• Ichneumon wasp larvae
• Predatory bugs
• Caterpillar flies
• Soft beetle
• Ground beetle
• be crazy
• partly birds

A naturally designed garden is an excellent livelihood for these predators. If you enable a balanced mix of plants in the garden, the predators will find themselves and feed on the aphids regularly. Actually, you don't have to settle these yourself. However, since many gardens hardly have a variety of plants or only monocultures are grown, many plants are found food for the lice. In this case, even home remedies won't help.

The two-point ladybird (Adalia bipunctata) and the larvae of the common lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea) are particularly popular. These are available in pet shops or on the Internet and can be put out in the garden. The earwigs (Dermaptera) are also helpful. These can be settled directly as the adult specimens feed on the lice:

• use a small flower pot
• optionally purchase sleeping tubes
• Fill the flower pot with a little wood wool
• hang upside down

The nocturnal insects will move into the shelter over the warm seasons and hunt the aphids from there. It is best to place the shelter near the aphid-infested plants so that the earwigs are close at hand. Earwigs are the easiest to settle and do not have to be purchased in stores. With the other beneficial insects, you just have to make sure that there is enough variety in the garden. Mixed cultures and varieties are a natural insect repellent.

Note: Predators are not really recommended for indoor potted plants unless it is a garden shed. If these are on the terrace, however, it is not a problem.

Build plant barriers

You can also prevent aphids with a classic home remedy: Simply plant species with certain ingredients that prevent the aphids from settling. There are numerous plants that have essential oils, enrich the soil with substances or taste unpleasant for aphids. For this reason, it makes sense to set up plants as a protective barrier for other plants that are often attacked by the lice. Particularly suitable for this are:

• lavender (Lavandula)
• Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
• Sage (salvia)
• Thyme (thymus)
• Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum)
• Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)
• Savory (Satureja)
• Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
• Mint (mentha)
• Onions (Allium cepa)

The Mediterranean herbs in particular work extremely well, as they do not even let the aphids near the plants to be protected. The insects smell the fragrances from afar and stay away from them, which is an effective protection against them. The other herbs are alternatives that should be specially planted between other plants. In general, not only can you build barriers out of herbs, but you should place them near delicate plants. In this way you increase the effectiveness significantly. The herbs can even be planted in pots. Planting robust varieties directly in the field is recommended despite this option.

Administer nitrogen moderately

One of the biggest problems with aphids is the use of too much nitrogen. If you give the plants significantly too much nitrogen, you must expect an aphid infestation. A lot of nitrogen helps the plant to produce significantly more and nutrient-rich sap, which the aphids like to draw off. In general, if you don't use a lot of nitrogen, a soil analysis should be performed. Sometimes the soil can be so enriched with the nutrient that the plant has no choice but to use it. In this case, work in some low-nitrogen soil on the site and reduce the amount of nitrogen when fertilizing.

Optimal location

It is not easy for a weak plant. Many home remedies ensure that the plant is strengthened in the event of an aphid infestation and thus maintain its natural resistance. Prevention is also recommended at this point, as a robustly growing plant usually does not need any help to defend itself against aphids. Above all, make sure that your plants have enough light and the best soil conditions available. Care instructions for the individual species will help you to enable the necessary properties for the location as it goes.

Shoot injection

The shoot spray is a special means of preventing aphids and other pests in woody plants, especially fruit trees. It is applied at a specific point in time:

• Bud formation
• first leaves are formed

The reason for this is the aphid eggs, which were laid in the numerous cavities of the bark before winter began. With the shoot spray you prevent the growth of a new generation of lice. A spray based on rapeseed oil is used for this, which you can also make yourself as a home remedy. The spray coats the eggs with a fine film that cuts off their air. That way they cannot develop and die. In the case of rapidly growing trees, the shoot spraying must be repeated more frequently over the spring.

Plant protection sticks

You can also choose from plant protection sticks, which can effectively prevent aphids from infesting your ornamental plants. They work for a period of two to three months, which is a good protection for the plants. The sticks contain insecticides such as acetamiprid, which are poisonous but not dangerous for beneficial organisms such as bees. The sticks are simply inserted into the substrate and there release the substances to the plant, the sap of which is enriched with the insecticide. The plants themselves do not suffer any damage, but the lice die when they suckle. In addition to the toxins, the sticks support the vitality of the plants with the following nutrients:

• potassium
• phosphorus
• nitrogen

For this reason, chopsticks are not a bad alternative. While they are not home remedies, they can be used effectively in cases that occur annually.

Tip: Another idea is to use plasters such as the rose plaster Hortex from Celaflor, which are toxic to the aphidoid. They are only suitable for ornamental plants, as the plasters contain insecticides that protect the plant.