Aphids?

This is the first year cabbages have looked like they were going to survive long enough to have a crop, until yesterday. Suddenly, leaves in the center are shriveled up and masses of tiny insects are inside. My guess is they're aphids, what do you think?

A Google search gave some ideas. I tried mixing Palmolive dish soap with water and spraying all the plants.

It may be a little early to tell, but there doesn't seem to be any change yet. Are there any sure fire ways of getting rid of them without using poison?

Reply to
possum
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Well, that rather depends on your definition of poison. If the soap solution kills the bugs, it's a poison as far as they are concerned. If you use "natural, organic rotenone" to kill them, you've just deployed a natural organic poison derived from chrysanthemums. No less of a pesticide for being "natural & organic." You could encourage bugs (or other creatures) that eat the type of bug you have, but that doesn't work in two days time and also doesn't work if you poison the bugs you don't want, thus killing the ones you do.

It's a rather complex business even if you have sworn off synthetic poisons.

There are many tiny bugs, with no further information than that you have masses of tiny bugs, there's really no way to confirm or deny that they are aphids, or something else entirely. Step one, resort to a book or website that helps you identify bugs - possibly also use a magnifying glass or microscope to help you sort them out if they are very tiny.

Some bugs are repelled by strong smells and may be put off by something like mint tea spayed on - others don't care a bit, or will invite their buggy friends over for a tea party.

Reply to
Ecnerwal

Rotenone is from derris elliptica aka rohten(japanese) and found in some other legumes.

You mean pyrethrum. -- We grow painted daisies aka pyrethrum daisies (Chrysanthemum coccineum).

Reply to
phorbin

Yes. The point Lawrence was trying to make is valid however. Just because it comes from a plant doesn't mean it is safe or 'good' and just because it comes from a factory doesn't mean it is unsafe or 'bad'.

D
Reply to
David Hare-Scott

sometimes they are dead and stick on the plant anyways.

use a soft brush and brush them off.

songbird

Reply to
songbird

Ah hell... that came out really wonky.

I wasn't going after Lawrence's point.

The idea before the neural meltdown was to -- put the correct labels on the plants.

Reply to
phorbin

And I saw it as such, smacked my head, and said ...doh! I'm a doddering old mixer-upper. Thanks for correcting that.

Back to the aphids, if aphids they are - sometime simply lblasting them off with a stream of water helps - displaces them to where other things can more easily eat them. Or, if they are in fact already dead from the soap solution, but still there, it removes the carcasses.

Reply to
Ecnerwal

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