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Aphids are a common pest and make life hard for gardeners. Within a very short time, these yellow, green, red or black insects can grow into gigantic hordes and damage the leaves and young shoots of many plants with their piercing-sucking mouth parts. Additionally, aphids often transmit dangerous pathogens, especially viruses. However, it’s not necessary to fight aphids with chemicals. There are much cheaper and – what’s even more important – natural household remedies to get rid of aphids. Let’s have a look!
Preventing aphids
The right place and nutrients
As so often, it’s best to take every measure to keep pests like aphids away from your plants. One way to do that is not to plant too many of the same plants together. In an ornamental garden, this could mean combining roses with different perennials; in the vegetable garden, you should apply the system of companion plants. That way, we can already combine plants that help each other.
Healthy plants that get enough nutrients, water and light are generally less prone to pests than over-fertilised or weak plants. Avoid over-fertilising with nitrogen, because aphids like the nourishing plant sap.
Attract natural enemies
A further step to prevent aphids is to attract their natural enemies like ladybugs, lacewings, ichneumon flies, hoverflies and other insects. Offer them enough nesting opportunities, for example deadwood hedges, lacewing boxes and insect hotels. When aphid hunters feel comfortable in your garden, the aphids will decrease noticeably in late spring or early summer. The reason is that with an increased food supply, the beneficial insects proliferate as well. In summer, we usually have a good balance.
Strengthen your plants
Seeing as pests first infest weak and unhealthy plants, it’s a good idea to strengthen them. Here, too, we have tried-and-tested household remedies for strengthening:
Horsetail manure
To make horsetail manure, you need 1 kg fresh or 200 g dry field horsetail. Soak it in 10 litres of cold water for 24 hours and filter it. Dilute 2 litres of the liquid manure with 10 litres of water and water or spray the plants every week.
Skimmed milk and whey
To prevent aphids from infesting your tomato plants, mix one litre of skimmed milk or whey with 4 litres of water and spray the concoction once a week on your plants. If the aphids have already infested your tomatoes, however, this won’t help.
Nettle manure
Nettle manure is easily made by letting nettles ferment in cold water for a few days (click here to learn more about how to make nettle manure).
Diluted with water is a strengthening tonic for young and weak plants and helps prevent aphids.
Wormwood manure
Wormwood manure (not to be confused with wormwood tea) does not repel pests but distracts them with its strong and pungent smell. It’s made in the same way as nettle manure.
Vinegar
Vinegar is also a preventive means against aphids, as they shy away from acid. You must be careful, however, and only use vinegar dilutedly. Otherwise, you risk damaging your plants with too high acidity.
How to get rid of aphids with household remedies
One day, everything’s fine in your garden, and the next day, all your plants have aphids! At least, it often seems as dramatic as that because aphids proliferate very fast and can truly infest a garden within a week.
So, what to do now? Here are some tried-and-tested household remedies to get rid of aphids in a natural way.
Water
Yep, that’s right, just plain old water. Often, a strong jet of water is enough to catapult the aphids into nirvana. Just shoot them off the plant. This works for house plants, as well. Put them into the shower or bathtub and rinse the aphids off.
Soft soap or dish soap solution
The most commonly known household remedy against aphids is soft soap. This soap is made with potash instead of sodium hydroxide and has no surplus of fat. An alternative to soft soap is dish soap, although it contains fragrances and colourings.
Shower gel and other body care products on the basis of soap are not suitable. They contain environmentally dangerous substances and can damage your plants.
To make an effective household remedy against aphids, dissolve 50 g of soft soap or dish soap in one litre of warm water. Let the solution cool down and fill it into a spray bottle. Spray the infested plants.
Pro tip: In case of a heavy infestation with aphids, stir 2 teaspoons of alcohol or spirit to the soft soap solution to enhance its power.
Nettle brew
A brew (not manure) from stinging nettles is also a successful household remedy to get rid of aphids. To make an extract, put 100 – 200 g of fresh stinging nettles into one litre of water and let them steep for two days. You can use the brew undiluted against aphids, also on houseplants.
Make sure to filter the brew after two days and dispose of the nettles. Otherwise, the liquid will ferment and become nettle manure, which mustn’t be used undiluted on any plants.
Oregano
You may know oregano in the kitchen, but this herb is also suitable against aphids. To make a spray solution, take 100 g fresh or 10 g dry oregano and add one litre of boiling water. Let it steep for 15 – 20 minutes and filter it. Dilute the brew at a ratio of 3:1 with water and spray it on the aphid-infested plants.
Tansy brew
Soak 500 g fresh or 30 g dried tansy in 10 litres of water for 24 hours. Filter the brew and dilute it with 20 litres of water. Fill the solution in a spray bottle and spray it on the diseased plant.
Wormwood tea
Besides aphids, wormwood tea (not wormwood manure, see above) also helps against other sucking and eating pests. Brew 100 g fresh or 10 g dry wormwood leaves (Artemisia absinthum) with one litre of water and let it steep for 24 hours. Filter the tea and use it undilutedly against aphids.
Bracken brew
Mix one kilogram of bracken with 10 litres of water. The brew can be used undilutedly against aphids and is especially suitable for houseplants. Bracken contains lots of potassium, and the brew strengthens the plant like a fertiliser.
Onion and garlic „tea“ as a household remedy against aphids
Onions and garlic can help against many pests. Make a tea from 40 g chopped onions or garlic and 5 litres of boiling water. Let the tea steep for at least three hours (closed with a lid, it stinks!) and filter it afterwards. Spray your plants with this undiluted tea every 8 – 10 days against aphids and preventively against fungal diseases.
Rhubarb leaf brew
If your beans are infested with black bean aphids (Aphis fabae), a brew from rhubarb leaves is a good household remedy. Boil 500 g of leaves for half an hour in 3 litres of water, filter the brew and spray your plants with the cooled liquid once a week.
Black tea
Black tea is also a good household remedy against aphids. Take two teabags of black tea and pour one litre of boiling water over them. Let it steep for at least 15 minutes. Fill the cooled tea in a spray bottle and spray your plants from all directions.
Conclusion
Aphids are a common pest, and to a certain extent we have to live with them. In a natural garden, where their natural enemies feel comfortable, we usually get a good balance.
In case of a large infestation, however, we should not use chemicals to fight them as these would also harm beneficial insects. Instead, there are so many cheap or even free household remedies that really help get rid of aphids in a natural way. The ecosystem and environment will thank you, and you can eat your vegetables with an easy conscience.
Interested in more garden talk? Read on here:
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