How to Get Rid of Aphids

Despite all the beneficial bugs moseying around your garden, there are a handful of sap-sucking troublemakers you need to be on the lookout for, like aphids. Although tiny and cute, these pests mean business when it comes to destroying your plants.

Today, we’ll walk you through what aphids look like, what they do for fun, and where they like to hang out. We’ll also share how to kill aphids with organic aphid control methods that won’t harm pollinators or beneficial bugs!

How Do Aphids Harm Plants?

Aphids harm plants by sucking the nutrients out of them. In large numbers, aphids can significantly weaken your plants, flowers, and fruit, causing leaves to curl, yellow, or stop growing altogether. Because they multiply quickly, identifying and eliminating aphids before they can reproduce is the best way to protect your plants from damage. Here are a few signs you might have an aphid problem:

• You find a sticky, honeydew like substance on your plants
• You find fungal growth on your plants that causes blackened branches or leaves
• Your plant leaves, flowers, or fruits are deformed

Identifying Aphids

Aphids are soft-bodied, pear-shaped insects that are roughly ¼” or smaller in size. There are various species of aphids that vary in colors like light green, black, brown, gray, white, yellow, and pink. To identify aphids, look for long antennae and two short tubes (cornicles) sticking out of their back ends. You can also look for a woolly or waxy coating on the body.

Because aphids are often invisible to the naked eye, it helps to know where they like to hang out. You’ll most often find aphids on the underside of leaves, on new growth, and on tender stems where they can suck the most nutrients out of the plant. Other times, aphids will gravitate towards specific plants, earning titles like:

• Potato Aphids
• Cabbage Aphids
• Green Peach Aphids
• Melon Aphids
• Woolly Apple Aphids
• Bean Aphids

How to Get Rid of Aphids Organically

If you notice aphids on your plants, your first reaction should be to spray them off with a hose. Next, you’ll want to spray your plants with a garden-safe Organic Aphid Control to kill any pesky aphids lingering about.

What We Mean By “Garden Safe”

It might surprise you to learn that not all insecticides and garden products are created with the environment in mind. In fact, many pesticides and aphid sprays contain synthetic chemicals and neonicotinoids that harm beneficial bugs and pollinators! That’s why we’ve created Bee Safe Insecticides, the organic way to kill aphids without causing harm to innocent “bystanders,” crops, or plants.

Organic Aphid Sprays

The ORGANOCIDE® BEE SAFE Aphid Spray is the only organic aphid killer that’s safe for bees. Through the power of dense natural oils, this organic aphid spray works on contact to rid your garden of pesky aphids without harming your vegetables, pollinators, or the environment.

If you’re looking for even more environmentally-friendly garden protection, the ORGANOCIDE® BEE SAFE 3-in-1 Organic Aphid Spray is it! This  3-in-1 insecticide, fungicide, and miticide will help rid your garden of fungal diseases and soft-bodied insects as early as the eggs stage, all while providing a safe haven for pollinators to work and thrive.

Bring in the [Beneficial] Bugs!

Since certain bugs like to snack on soft-bodied insects, Attracting Good Bugs for Organic Pest Control is one of the most organic ways to kill aphids. These “Good Bugs” include ladybugs, spiders, praying mantis, and lacewings, and they like to snack on not only aphids, but cabbage worms, earwigs, cutworms, and more!

At Organic Labs, we’re committed to protecting the environment through bee safe products and helpful videos on how to use them for your best results ever. Visit us on Facebook and Instagram today to stay in the know all year-’round!