Aphids - this time on honeysuckle

Hi Wilson,

Yes there are.

Two things you have to do.

2) kill off the ants that are farming the aphids. Mix borax washing soda (Walmart) with hot water and really cheap honey (Walmart). Make a gooey paste. Apply all over the place.

Optional, after you kill off the ants: unleash lady bugs on them. Apply in the cool of the morning so they won't just fly off. But the ants must go first as they will kill the lady bugs to protect the aphids.

Death to aphids! Death to squash bugs! Death to earwigs!

-T

it is very hard to kill off all ants but it may help to knock them back temporarily. personally, i don't try to control ants here unless they are trying to set up a new home in the house.

the more inert dilute soap spray may do the job for both the ants and the aphids at least to knock them back and then the ladybugs will help keep things under control.

it will help a lot to learn how to keep lady bugs around and to encourage other lady bug predators. i don't see aphids here often.

songbird

Hi Songbird,

The soapy water plus the pressure spray will knock them off the plant. Because they will have lost their wings, it is very hard for them to crawl back up. And the soapy water will drown them.

Ants that are farming aphids will attack and kill lady bugs. If you put your hand on a stem full of aphids that are ant farmed, the ants will immediately bit you.

My #2 above works by the workers taking the borax back to and feeding the queen it. It is non-toxic (it destroys their digestive system) so they can't get immune to it. Think Roach Proof for ants.

Since it is slow, it will take a few days, but it will wipe out the entire colony. But other neighboring ants will eventually move in. Take a while though.

The ants have to go before lady bugs will work.

Death to aphids! Death to squash bugs! Death to earwigs!

-T

songbird wrote: ...

that should read aphid predators... duh...

songbird

Thanks, T. I'll have to try the power wash thing with the hose. I have used Safer's Soap without any real success.

There are some ants and I've heard of them farming aphids, but not really noticing them getting together. I have a hummingbird feeder up that attracts some ants. I use Boraxo & sugar and it does work. Mentioned honey to the wife and she immediately thought of some old corn syrup which we think would work.

I'm thinking that after I power spray the plant, I'll put some Boraxo & sugar underneath the plant. I'm going to check on it's effect on plants first, but I've seen not die-off where I've put it along the boarder of my garage for wood ants.

Funny thing with lady bugs, we were inundated with them all winter long in our house. Mostly those Japanese ones with the 'M' or 'W' on their heads, depending on which way your looking. Now, very few if any around.

The neighbors have some of the same honeysuckle, but no aphids that I can see.

Thanks!

I've seen a lot to aphids on my lupines too. I may have some plants that are hosting the aphids more than others. It's just that the honeysuckle was so beautiful when blooming as they do all summer long, I hate them getting shut down before they get started. Thanks.

I mentioned BORAXO, but really meant BORAX.

Add some diatomaceous earth to the mix , it abrades the waxy coating on hard shell insects and they dry to death .

i don't know about degrading but it's tiny chips of sharp silicon and cuts the carapace then they die of dehydration as you say. Dust the plant all over with it dry and it works best. Also kills fleas and bedbugs.

Harmless unless you breathe a lot in. (causes silicosis of the lungs). Just dig out a covid mask and wear it properly! No gaps...

I said "abrade , to scrape or wear away by friction or erosion" , not "degrade" . Close enough to get the message across I guess .

Safer Soap is over hyped. And dish washing detergent will work just fine. I use the seventh Gen free and clear because it does not have perfumes and is totally biodegradable. I have even killed squash bugs with it. It is great on flies and black widows too.

Ants LOVE corn syrup! You know, I wonder which is cheaper corn syrup or honey. Ant love the corn syrup in Coca Cola.

You don't have to put it under the plant. Ant will find it, even 10 feet away. That being said, I have wiped it on the leaves and stems of my Goji berries. No harm was done.

I do not know what kind of lady bugs we have, but I know they will bite you if provoked.

Pretty sure corn syrup is cheaper, besides I have some corn syrup 'lite' I bought by accident when I was trying to make Sea Foam Candy - failed.

I will continue the battle!

I do have some diatomaceous earth on hand. My experience with it is that it's hard to tell if it's doing it's job. Sometimes, I grow impatient with 'organic' solutions. sigh

Slow gets the queen and wipes out the colony.

If what you are after is the sight of a bunch of dead ants, just spray them with vinegar.