Aphids on my blackberry and raspberry plants, how to deal with them?

[Frosty Nuggets]

I have just discovered aphids on my blackberry and raspberry plants after finding ants crawling over them, I have put Antrid down but the ants are not going for it as the aphids are more attractive to them.

Do I use horticultural oil or neem oil to deal with the aphids and how do I apply it, once a week until the aphids are gone or every couple of days, I am guessing that after rain I need to reapply it once the rain has stopped?

How long after use do I need to withhold picking fruit (there is no ripe fruit yet, it is only just starting to grow)?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Creeperpark]

I have just discovered aphids on my blackberry and raspberry plants after finding ants crawling over them, I have put Antrid down but the ants are not going for it as the aphids are more attractive to them.

Do I use horticultural oil or neem oil to deal with the aphids and how do I apply it, once a week until the aphids are gone or every couple of days, I am guessing that after rain I need to reapply it once the rain has stopped?

How long after use do I need to withhold picking fruit (there is no ripe fruit yet, it is only just starting to grow)?

Thanks in advance for your help.

I would hit them every three days until they are gone. I would also use neem with a drop of dish soap mixed with warm water.

 

[Frosty Nuggets]

I would hit them every three days until they are gone. I would also use neem with a drop of dish soap mixed with warm water.

Thanks for the info, will do.

 

[Frosty Nuggets]

Just looked up a local hardware store for neem oil and it says not for edibles so should I use white oil/horticultural oil instead?

 

[buzzmobile]

A soap spray will kill them. They are easy to kill but hard to eliminate. Soap spray is a contact killer so thorough coverage and persistence is a must. It can burn flowers and should not be applied in the heat of the day.

Homemade Organic Pest Soap Spray Recipe: Kill Aphids, Mealybugs & More

Learn how to make inexpensive organic soap spray to stop aphids, mealybugs, and other soft-bodied insects from damaging your garden, or indoor plants!

homesteadandchill.com

Safer's also makes an insecticidal soap spray.

 

[Creeperpark]

Just looked up a local hardware store for neem oil and it says not for edibles so should I use white oil/horticultural oil instead?

That guy is trying to make a sale and doesn't know what he's talking about. Do not use dormant oil on your eatable plants.

Can you use neem on edibles?

It is safe to use on both ornamental and edible crops and can be sprayed on herbs and vegetables up to the day of harvest. Applying neem oil to a drought-stressed plant can burn the foliage, so water plants thoroughly before using it. google

Can I eat vegetables sprayed with neem?


Neem oil is safe to use on ornamental and edible plants. It can be sprayed on all kind of fruits, vegetables and edible flowers. Just wash them thoroughly with water before consuming.

 

[imiubu]

Just looked up a local hardware store for neem oil and it says not for edibles so should I use white oil/horticultural oil instead?

Recently, I had an infestation of aphids on my outdoor Lilly's in containers.
It seemed like an overnight explosion. They were all around the rim of
the planter and making their way down the sides... yikes.

As an (frugal, simple ingredient) experiment; in a 32oz sprayer, I mixed
a solution of 10/ 1 water and 99% Iso. Killed them dead. I mean, immediately.

Not sure how Iso would effect ripe berries though.

I am trying different treatment approaches in both my outdoor flower gardens and
my indoor weed grow, in effort to no longer rely on commercial pest treatments.
Especially those that are systemic.

Thus far in my experimentation, I have discovered the power of Isopropyl and 3% peroxide.
I have also added a drop or 2 of Ivory liquid soap or organic neem oil in effort to discover
if they are even necessary to the process.
Thus far... my results have revealed...no, not especially necessary.

Critters do show up occasionally yet are quickly dispatched due to these simple and cheap
treatment ingredients.

Now, on that note, my canna garden is small in comparison to others.
I mother over summer; 12 - 15 smallish plants. Then 2 winter runs of
8 -12 plants each. Likely much more manageable than larger gardens?

Best of luck.

 

[Frosty Nuggets]

Recently, I had an infestation of aphids on my outdoor Lilly's in containers.
It seemed like an overnight explosion. They were all around the rim of
the planter and making their way down the sides... yikes.

As an (frugal, simple ingredient) experiment; in a 32oz sprayer, I mixed
a solution of 10/ 1 water and 99% Iso. Killed them dead. I mean, immediately.

Not sure how Iso would effect ripe berries though.

I am trying different treatment approaches in both my outdoor flower gardens and
my indoor weed grow, in effort to no longer rely on commercial pest treatments.
Especially those that are systemic.

Thus far in my experimentation, I have discovered the power of Isopropyl and 3% peroxide.
I have also added a drop or 2 of Ivory liquid soap or organic neem oil in effort to discover
if they are even necessary to the process.
Thus far... my results have revealed...no, not especially necessary.

Critters do show up occasionally yet are quickly dispatched due to these simple and cheap
treatment ingredients.

Now, on that note, my canna garden is small in comparison to others.
I mother over summer; 12 - 15 smallish plants. Then 2 winter runs of
8 -12 plants each. Likely much more manageable than larger gardens?

Best of luck.

Thanks for your reply.

I will try the dish soap and water method first, if that fails then the iso and water method.

 

[Frosty Nuggets]

The aphids are dead, the dish soap and water worked, there's a few dead ones left on one plant but on the other they are gone even without spraying with water to remove the dead ones.

 

[buzzmobile]

Keep an eye on the plants because aphids are built to multiply.

Attack of the Clones: Deep Look at the Lives of Aphids

UC Cooperative Extension specialist and agricultural entomologist Ian Grettenberger of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty, assisted with the award-winning KQED Deep Look video, Born Pregnant: Aphids Invade with an Onslaught of Clones.

www.ucdavis.edu

 

[Frosty Nuggets]

Keep an eye on the plants because aphids are built to multiply.

Attack of the Clones: Deep Look at the Lives of Aphids

UC Cooperative Extension specialist and agricultural entomologist Ian Grettenberger of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology faculty, assisted with the award-winning KQED Deep Look video, Born Pregnant: Aphids Invade with an Onslaught of Clones.

www.ucdavis.edu

No worries, I will keep spraying every couple of days for the next 2 weeks to kill any that emerge from eggs.