Fighting lice on elderberries: help against aphids

Aphids are one of the classic pests on elderberries. The lice mainly appear at the beginning of the vegetation phase, since at this time the Sambucus species are in full sap and thus represent a found food for the insects. Elder is an extremely robust plant, which in most cases makes it easy to control the lice. You can get rid of the aphids effectively with a suitable home remedy.

Occurring species

Before using home remedies or other methods to put an end to aphids, you should understand the elderberry-specific species. These differ only a little from each other in shape, but in color. The slow movement makes it easier for you to recognize them and differentiate accordingly. An overview of the typical aphid species on Sambucus and their colors can be found in the following list:

• Elder aphid (Aphis sambuci): black, gray-green
• Green peach aphid (Myzus persicae): light green
• Black bean louse (Aphis fabae): dark green, black

You should act particularly quickly against the green peach aphid, as it can transmit dangerous viruses compared to the other species. These cause the leaves to yellow intensely, which has a negative effect on the general vitality. Regardless of the species, in addition to the clearly visible insects, there are other symptoms that indicate an infestation:

• Leaves roll up
• Bend the shoot tips
• Honeydew visible
• Ants

If you don't notice the lice on the plant straight away, but you experience one of the above symptoms, you should take a look at the stems and leaves of the elder. Once you spot the insects, you can take effective action against them.

Note: The aphids mainly appear when the elder is not doing well, the location is not good enough or the specimen is still young. Prevent an infestation through the optimal care and environmental conditions, because Sambucus can cope with the pests on its own.

Getting rid of aphids on elderberries

If you fail to prevent the lice, then you will have to resort to somewhat tougher remedies. You do not have to worry about an aphid infestation, because the trees and shrubs of the genus Sambucus are healthy and robust. If you can find a small group of aphids on these, then there is really nothing to worry about. Local infestation in manageable quantities is quite normal. The aphids even attract numerous birds and other insects.

However, if you are dealing with larger groups of animals including ants, you should do something. First aid is mainly given by collecting the animals. 5 other methods apart from chemical pesticides can be used if the collection is not sufficient.

Tip: Don't just fight the lice on your elderberry plants, but also the ants that tend to their “cows” in droves. The ants defend the insects from their predators and often settle on the roots of the elder, which can weaken it and thus significantly increase the infestation.

water

Water is one of the best home remedies for removing aphidoid from your elderberry. The reason for this is the intensity, because the insects cannot withstand a strong force. Water can actually be used for all types of aphids. The pests return after a while, which makes it necessary to use the method again. Fighting aphids with water is particularly suitable if you notice an infestation and the animals can no longer be collected. To do this, proceed as follows:

• Locate pests
• Connect the garden hose
• Rinse off lice
• use a sharp jet of water for this
• Rinse off shoots only

Go as thorough as possible with this home remedy. You should rinse the leaves very carefully, otherwise damage can quickly occur. If you want to get rid of the aphidoid on the leaves as well, rinse them off with a weaker jet of water while you collect them. This method is particularly suitable for Sambucus, as the trees can withstand even heavy rain without any problems. But be careful not to get any fruit, as too much water has a negative effect on the taste. This method needs to be repeated more often.

Nettle extract

Due to their ingredients, nettles are effective against aphids on sambucus plants. A Nettle extract is a powerful home remedy for the lice:

• Dosage: 100 g of nettles in 1 liter of water
• Put nettles in the water
• Let it steep for 12 to 24 hours
• fill in spray bottle
• apply immediately

Compared to nettle liquid manure, the extract is ready within a short time and does not have to ferment. If you can wait that long, let the mixture steep in a barrel for two weeks, stirring daily. Before use, the liquid manure must be mixed with water in a ratio of 1:10.

Tip: In addition to nettles, you can make a tea or brew from numerous herbs and useful plants, which serves as a spray and works effectively against the pests. Garlic, rhubarb leaves, tansy and oregano, which unfold their full effect in the liquid state, are well suited for these.

Soapy water

Another classic is a spray based on lubricant or curd soap. This effectively combats lice on elderberries because the soap clogs their airways and causes them to perish. The soap is applied as a simple spray, which has to be repeated more often:

• Dosage: 20 g soap per liter of water
• use hot water
• mix in spray bottle
• Dissolve the soap
• let cool down

Then the solution is ready and can be used. As with the other sprays, more frequent use is necessary.

Remove the shoot tips

If the sambucus can't fight the aphids on its own, you can use pruning measures. Especially with local infestation of individual areas on the wood, it is not wrong to completely remove them together with the lice. In this way, the plant no longer has to concentrate on the problem area, which improves vitality again.

For this method, simply use clean or disinfected scissors and remove the shoot tips that have been infected by the aphids. Make sure that the blades are sharp so as not to damage the wood. It can also help to thin out the plants annually to remove sick, dead or weak shoot tips.

milk

Milk is a classic home remedy for lice on elderberries, which is mainly used at the beginning of an infestation. Either low-fat milk or skimmed milk is used for this, depending on what you have on hand. Milk will kill the insects when used in the following ways:

• Dilute milk with water
• Skimmed milk: 1: 2
• Milk (low fat): 1: 5
• fill in spray bottle
• spray affected areas

To increase the effectiveness of the milk, you can also add one to two drops of lavender essential oil to five liters of the mixture. This increases the effect considerably. The mixture does not need to be washed off after use.