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Thread: Aphids vs Fleas

  1. #1

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    Default Aphids vs Fleas

    I've searched for and read the other posts like this already but nothing answered my question:

    For the gardeners on here- Is it justifiable to kill aphids?

    I read the posts about how people would kill fleas on their dogs, is killing aphids on the plants they are killing equivalant?

    I love invertebrates, probably more than vertebrates if I'm honest, the lives of spiders, snails, bees etc fascinate me more than cows and pigs (although I love them too). But I also love my plants. To me they are companions. My plants got a bad attack of aphids last year, indoors and outside. I controlled them outside by encouraging birds (the sparrows will actually eat them off the plants), ladybirds and hoverflies-7 different species by the end of the summer . But they destroyed a lot of my indoor seedlings so that I struggled to get a good crop of veg they and infested the bigger plants and I've just found my indoor plants are covered in aphids again. All of the tips I've found are for outdoor plants. My indoor ones need the heat and will die if I just put them outside. I know as soon as I start my seedlings off on the windowsills again they will be infested and probably die.

    I bought an organic pesticide made from a flower they find poisonous, but I've not been able to bring myself to use it yet. What do you think? I'd really appreciate opinions on this.

  2. #2
    Greyowl55's Avatar
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    Default Re: Aphids vs Fleas

    Hello Thyme; not a difficult question, for me at least. I grow my own and have a lovely shrub and flower garden too. I decided a long time ago that the use of anything that killed anything was not acceptable. OK, so my crop may or may not be decimated and the produce may not be up to supermarket standards, but it is a question of ethics. Concentrate on prevention rather than killing: physical barriers, planting herbs around your crop that repel insects, using coffee grounds, coarse sand etc to block slugs.
    "Nostalgia is not what it used to be"

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Aphids vs Fleas

    Hi,

    thanks for your reply-but it wasn't exactly an answer to my question. I already do this in the garden and wouldn't think of harming the wildlife out there, but my problem is that the aphids are living indoors in my house.

    They are on the house plants and their sugary excretions are around the bases and furniture that the plants are on. My husband is getting rather frustrated with dead aphids in the bath from the plants on the windowsill and as he's not vegan he has threatend to spray them all if I don't hurry up and sort it out.

    Just looking for how to resolve this indoors as ethically as I can.

  4. #4
    Greyowl55's Avatar
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    Default Re: Aphids vs Fleas

    I understand. I think that if your house plants are covered then there is not much you can do to get rid of the aphids without killing them (the aphids) in some diabolical manner, and then using preventative measures to stop their return. I am not an expert on the life cycle of an aphid, but as good a remedy as any is to physically remove the aphids and go from there. Outside I do it with a hose - you could take your plants outdoors and hose them down Alternatively compost the plants (and leave the aphids to do whatever they want to do) and start again. If you Googled the problem you would find 1001 remedies based on an individual's particular beliefs and religion, e.g. spraying with soapy water or mint tea, alcohol wipes etc., etc. I do what works for me. Which is why I don't have any roses
    "Nostalgia is not what it used to be"

  5. #5
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Aphids vs Fleas

    What a pain. I read on one or two websites that if you can grow the plants in a soil-less medium you won't get aphids because they need soil for part of their lifecycle. I don't know whether this is feasible for what you want to grow though - might be worth investigating for the future?

    We got aphids on an indoor chilli plant last autum and I put it outside in the hope that they would hop off but they stayed put and the plant died On outdoor plants I usually let them get on with it as I'm not trying to grow food seriously, and ladybirds etc usually turn up to deal with population explosions.

  6. #6
    Karma Junkie vava's Avatar
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    Default Re: Aphids vs Fleas

    This is a really difficult question to answer - if you got a plant that they loved and put that plant next to them and they transferred to that plant and you then put it outside - they wouldn't survive in the cold weather so you would still be killing them. soapy water gets rid of them not by poisoning them but by coating them I think so the result is the same. I don't know if it would work or not and the effect would not be immediate but I had a mousie visitor and he used to come in under my sink. I coated my shelves under my sink with eucalyptus oil and it smelt really strong and mousie has not visited since. It may have been conicidence but I was expecting him back when the weather became colder this recent autumn - no show.

    I am wondering if you could use essential oil from one of the herbs that is supposed to repel aphids?
    even perfect isn't perfect - Rubyduby 4th July 08

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Aphids vs Fleas

    Hi, Thanks for your suggestions everyone, it does seem to be tricky. Trying essential oils sound like a good idea. After looking closely at my plants I've noticed that although my rose and lemon scented geraniums are infested the peppermint one isn't. It does have some dead ones on it, so I don't know if it's repelling them or it is only when they try and suck the sap that they are put off or poisoned but it might be worth me getting some peppermint oil, and putting my peppermint geranium close to the others to see if that works. I think otherwise the composting of the plants and re-starting might be my only option-although I find they return each year and wonder if they come in through the windows in the summer? I think I'll try moving all my greenfly plants into one room and clean the other rooms ready for my new veg seedlings so hopefully they'll be ok.

  8. #8
    Karma Junkie vava's Avatar
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    Default Re: Aphids vs Fleas

    could try stretching some close net curtain over the window as well - where they sit - if you think they are coming in there? Hope it works for you - worth a try and even if it doesn't work you can use the oil to perfume your mop water to make the floors smell nice!
    even perfect isn't perfect - Rubyduby 4th July 08

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Aphids vs Fleas

    hey that's a really good idea- I could try putting something like net curtains over the seedlings too so at least they'll be protected from aphids initally, as they always do the most damage to seedlings as they can't cope with the sap being taken in the same way that mature plants can. I think you can buy similar netting over frames to keep carrot fly away. At least that's a solution for keeping them out once they're gone.

    Yes at least peppermint is a lovely smell, I'll be quite happy having it round the house, I often put lemon or fennel essential oil in the washing water so I can try peppermint now too

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