house without houseplants is really sad! Houseplants bring joy to our homes through their decorative assets, however, they are prone to pest attacks. No healthy plant goes unpunished by pests or insects. And one of the most known and fearful pest attacks on houseplants and roses are aphids.
These tiny pests are found in colonies on the new, tender parts of the plants, and with their small sucking mouths ingest a fluid in the plant when they are sucking the sap.
How to identify aphids on houseplants?
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Well, the first thing is the stunted, shriveled, yellowing or curling leaves. You must check the undersides of the leaves and you will find the reason: large groups of aphids will be gathered behind the leaves leaving a sticky residue behind.
How to get rid of aphids on houseplants
Actually, is not so difficult to get rid of these tiny plant pests. However, you should check the plant on time before aphids take control over it.
Dip the plant in water
If the plant has delicate foliage that won’t tolerate spraying, you can dip the entire plant in water to dislodge the aphids. Turn the plant upside down and dip the foliage portion into a bucket of clean room-temperature water.
Removed damaged plant parts
You can cut away sections of the plant that are heavily infested and dispose of them outdoors.
Hang sticky traps
Sheets or strips of sticky paper hung around your plants will trap any insects that come to visit. Sticky traps are available at garden centers and from online retailers.
Apply homemade soapy insecticide
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- Combine 2-3 teaspoons of mild liquid dish soap with a few ounces of warm water in a spray bottle and shake well.
- Apply the solution liberally to plants that shows signs of aphid activity. The surfactants in the soap will eventually cause the insects to dry out without affecting the plant.
- To make your solution even more effective, add a generous pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Keep your spray bottle in a garage or shed near your garden so you’ll always have it when you need it.
- This solution will kill beneficial insects, too, so try to be selective when spraying plants. Mixing up a fresh batch for each application will keep your spray nozzle from clogging.
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