Aphids are among the “unwanted guests” most commonly found on garden and house plants. An infestation is often noticed late. Then quick action is required. 2 natural remedies against aphids help in the fight against the pests. In today’s article, we explain why they work instantly and give two recipes for home remedies.
Natural remedies against aphids with immediate effect: rapeseed oil
Rapeseed oil is a natural remedy against aphids with an immediate effect. We will now explain to you why treating indoor plants as well as perennials and flowers in the garden successfully removes the pests.
- When spraying the plants with rapeseed oil, part of the pests are immediately washed away. Many aphids later lose their footing because the oil forms a slippery film on the leaves. Once off the plants, few aphids find their way back. The majority, however, remains on the ground and dies.
- The aphids that remain on the plant are enveloped in the rapeseed oil film and cannot move or breathe.
- Perhaps the biggest benefit of the home remedy is that the canola oil also works well on larvae.
- An application is possible not only for ornamental plants but also for useful plants.
When and how to use rapeseed oil against aphids?
For quick and best possible results, the correct application is very important. It is best to treat the garden plants late in the afternoon. Ideally, it shouldn’t rain that night and be cloudy the next day. This is because the canola oil smears the protective coating of the leaves. This special layer of wax prevents sunburn. Without it, young plants in particular are at risk.
Indoor plants that are on the sunny windowsill should be placed in the shade for a few days after treatment.
Make your own spray with rapeseed oil: Instructions for a natural remedy against aphids
Before treatment, you need to make a spray with rapeseed oil. To do this, fill an empty spray bottle with 60 ml of rapeseed oil and 140 ml of water. Then add a dab of washing-up liquid to the water, close the bottle and shake vigorously so that the ingredients can mix well. So that all above-ground parts of the affected plants are wet and left to act overnight.
Tea tree oil is a fast-acting, natural aphid repellent
Tea tree oil has also proven itself in practice and in studies to be an effective, natural remedy against aphids. One international study even proves that treatment with the home remedy combats up to 80% of the pests. However, the combination of tea tree oil, pepper and rosemary oil was fatal to 98.33% of the aphids.
The tea tree oil works when the pests come into direct contact with the organic agent. Some of them suffocate because they are covered with tea tree oil (the effect is similar to canola oil). The rest of the aphids ingest the oil through food — and it’s toxic to them. Hence the quick and safe effect.
Home remedies with tea tree oil Make aphids yourself: instructions
To prepare a home remedy, simply pour 750 ml of water into a spray bottle. Pour 10 drops of tea tree oil, 5 drops of rosemary oil into the bottle and add a pinch of pepper. Add some more detergent (about 1/3 teaspoon) to the water and then close the bottle and shake vigorously.
Treat the plants with the home remedy on a cloudy afternoon. Place indoor plants in the sun again.
Prevent aphids with tea tree oil
Unlike rapeseed oil, which only fights the aphids, tea tree oil also has a preventive effect. For this purpose, it can also be combined with eucalyptus oil. Not all leaves, but only a few leaves of the neighboring plants are sprayed with a solution of 5 drops of eucalyptus oil, 10 drops of tea tree oil and 500 ml of water. This is especially important in spring, because that is the season when aphids spread in the garden. You can also protect the kitchen garden from infestation by spraying the solution on neighboring plants. The tea tree spray is also ideal if you have planted the vegetables too close together in the garden and want to prevent the pests from spreading.
There are many natural remedies that are effective against aphids. But if the pests spread quickly in the flower bed or on the rose bush, then reach for rapeseed or tea tree oil. They will fight the insects and are not harmful to the plants themselves. When treating, you should only make sure that the plants are not exposed to strong rays of the sun. Because the scented oils remove the upper protective layer of the leaves and these can easily burn. It is therefore best to treat the garden plants late in the afternoon or even in the evening, after sunset.