What's new
By:
Filters
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Confused About Aphids

jimscott

jimscott

Tropical Fish Enthusiast
A sundew that had a bunch of aphids on its flower stalk was sprayed with the alcohol / water / dish soap solution. The leaves still have their dew and I don't see any aphids. Not sure if they were eradicated or if they found new homes. I sprayed a few other sundews (capensis, mostly) that had aphids. We'll see how that goes. I'm confused about aphids. I though that they laid eggs and required repeated applications of Neem Oil, over time, to kill subsequent generations. But another hobbyist tells me tha they bear live young. He was the same one to try the alcohol / water / dish soap concoction.
 
Aphids are rather confusing from a reproductive standpoint. The females produce young parthenogenitically in the summer, and lay eggs in the fall.
 
Another place they hide in dews is the growing point of the plant itself. I'd recommend a hand lens and checking there periodically. The babies are often small and green--I miss seeing them all the time.
 
Maybe repeated applications of alcohol / water / dish soap solution will rid them, over time?
 
jimscott said:
Maybe repeated applications of alcohol / water / dish soap solution will rid them, over time?
Click to expand...
During the growing season when all you have to deal with are the aphids themselves I'm sure it would, but I'm not sure if it would kill the eggs. You could have a resurgence in the spring. If the plants are potted, you could put the whole works in a plastic bag with some dry ice, or if your have access to a CO2 tank you could eliminate them that way. But again, not sure if it would get the eggs or not.
 
How about a combination of Neem Oil when they lay eggs and alcohol when they are live bearing?
 
In my experience I've found that aphids are one of the few pests that are relatively easy to "kick". I don't have any specific method of doing so, but I've found that if I can get the plant back on its feet and do one or two eradication attempts that the aphids will usually phase out and not be much of a problem. If they don't go away they usually just attack one specific plant and hang out there. This is compared to things like thrips, spider mites, and scale, which in my experience, are all much more ravenous and difficult to deal with. Those species seem to love getting into every single plant in my collection and then hanging around forever and being impossible to kill completely!!!
 
  • #10
A few years ago I looked into dry ice. Just never was able to get hold of it, in small quantities. What's with flower stalks that seem to be the most visible place for them?
 
  • #11
Remove them physically with a hand spray bottle set on stream ("squirt gun mode"). Treat with Neem oil. Neem oil should be effective on both reproductive cycles and take care of any eggs. Neem Oil only has a persistence of 3-4 days so repeat a couple times a week for a couple of weeks.

I would imagine there is a high flow of nutrients to the ovaries in the flowers making the stalks a prime feeding area.
 
  • #12
Thank you for sharing this topic. I seem to have an aphid problem with my Pinguiculas. Would it be safe to use the Neem oil or the alcohol concoction to eradicate the aphids?

Mona

- - - Updated - - -

Hi Jim,

What are the ratios in the alcohol /water/dish soap concoction?

Thanks
Mona
 
Last edited:
  • #13
Check this link out:

Homemade Spray for Aphids

The alcohol solution would give the immediate effects of knocking down the existing population. But likely, there are more generations to follow. So neem oil would be a good way of controlling them, over time. There are a variety of approaches out there. For small plants, immersion in water is pretty effective. Personally, I'm not in favor of man-made insecticides. i would rather go with water or CO2 or neem oil. But that's me.
 
  • #14
Thanks Jim.

Would it be safe to use the Neem oil on the Pinguiculas?

Mona
 
  • #15
Neem oil should be perfectly safe, though you won't see immediate results. I have read it's supposed to work not by killing the aphids directly, but by disrupting their behavior - preventing them from eating or reproducing. The smell seems to be a bit divisive though, I've read multiple people claiming that it smells like rotten oranges and is so strong they won't use it indoors, but I've only found it to have a mild citrus-ey aroma and most definitely not smell rotten. Perhaps it depends on the brand you buy, I have this: Southern Ag Neem Oil
 
  • #16
Hi,

I have the Safer Brand Neem oil product that I have used on my Cephalotus plants to kill fungus growth, (the white stuff), with good results. I have heard that Pinguiculas are very sensitive so I am hesitant to rush to apply something that may kill the plants. I was also told about Orthene. Has anyone used it with any success (killing the bugs and not the CPs) :-(?

Mona
 
Last edited:
  • #17
Currently in quarantine
IMG_20160321_192237_zpsg8e9mh5e.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
 
  • #18
Hi Mona, I can't speak for your plants specifically, but I've had some mixed results using neem oil on certain droseras and pings- I definitely damaged some plants with a strong concentration. My feeling is that the tissues of pings and the trichomes of some sundews are too sensitive for the neem- some plants died, some burned a few leaves but bounced back, some barely flinched. Seedlings died almost entirely. The usual caution seems appropriate: use very weak concentrations at first and only treat one (your least favorite) ping, wait and see what happens. Meanwhile I'd suggest knocking the visible adults back with a cotton swab or matchstick dipped in tobacco water
 
  • #19
Thanks for the feedback. I ended up just soaking the plants in water and cleaning the leaves with tweezers and a magnifying glass. I also cleaned all the dead leaves and roots and washed off the roots under the RO spigot. I will be checking them often to make sue I do not have a re-infestation.

Mona
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top