Aphids are one of the fastest growing pests. Wingless female insects are capable of laying eggs even without fertilization by males. If the summer is hot, but there is no drought, then more than 10 generations may appear during the season.
Aphids suck the juice from young shoots of plants and spread dangerous viral diseases, so if measures are not taken in time to destroy the pests, there will be no harvest. Stores sell many drugs designed to kill aphids. However, most of them contain potent poisons that take more than a month to remove from the fruit. In addition, toxic substances kill not only harmful insects, but also beneficial ones, and when they get into the soil, even earthworms.
Therefore, many gardeners prefer to use a folk remedy that is safe for people and pets - vodka (ethyl alcohol, moonshine) to combat aphids.
How does vodka affect aphids?
The sharp and specific smell of this alcohol clogs the pest’s sensitive receptors, complicating further searches for food. The alcoholic drink penetrates the respiratory openings of the aphids, which are located on the abdomen. As a result, the pest simply stops holding on to the plant and falls down. The remaining aphids that are not directly exposed to the alcohol are unable to feed due to the temporary bitter taste of the leaves.
Vodka against aphids is effective when additional components are used that are harmless to plants.
Brief description of the effect of ethanol on aphids:
- The nervous system is severely affected - the insect loses orientation in space when this substance penetrates the body.
- Begins to get hungry due to strong odors.
- It dulls the receptors and makes further searches for food more difficult.
On a note! For processing plants, it is beneficial to use cheap versions of this drink, presented on the store shelf. Including moonshine or alcohol diluted with water.
Fighting aphids with nettle decoction
The more concentrated the decoction is, the better the effect of the procedure will be. In addition, it will nourish the plant very well and give it strength to recover and further fight against possible diseases.
Fig.4 Green aphid
If the fight against aphids with folk remedies does not give the desired result, then you need to resort to insecticides, that is, chemicals.
They are divided into 3 types:
Contact action - such drugs penetrate the outer coverings of the insect and kill it.
The most popular contact drug today:
Karbofos
Intestinal action - such drugs, entering the digestive system, poison the body and destroy the insect.
The most popular intestinal drugs today:
Akarin
Aktelik
Banquo
Fig.5 Black aphid
Systemic drugs - the peculiarity of their action is that they penetrate the internal structure of the plant and remain there for 2 to 4 weeks. Consequently, any insect that tries to eat it will be susceptible to poisoning and further death.
The most popular systemic drugs today:
Aktara
Biotlin
Tanrek
Instructions for use
Fighting aphids does not require any complicated preparation. You just need to put the sprayer on the bottle of this product or pour the liquid into a separate spray bottle, depending on what is more convenient for you. It is better to treat garden plants in the evening, closer to sunset, when insects become less mobile and active. The choice in favor of the evening is worth making, since during the day, plants exposed to sunlight are likely to get burned.
It is better to spray only trees and fruit bushes with vodka in its pure form. First, the effect of the liquid is tested on a small area. If burns appear after a day, use solutions with a lower concentration of vodka, which will be discussed below.
When spraying, try to keep the leaves moistened on both sides, because pests hide on the back of the leaf blade. In addition to the underside of the leaves, the flow must be directed to the bark and rosettes of leaves, avoiding inflorescences.
In order for vodka against aphids to bring the desired effect, this spraying on trees and fruit bushes should be repeated several times a week as needed.
Signs of pest damage
It is easy to see the presence of aphids on a plant - upon inspection, syrupy traces appearing from pest secretions and other symptoms are visible on the foliage.
Read more about why aphids appear on plants in the article here.
The first signs of aphid infestation:
- The shoots curl and wither. Young specimens of domestic flowers suffer.
- The presence of black marks on the leaves. Aphids spread sooty fungus, which appears as dark spots.
- Clusters of insects are noticeable on the underside of the leaves.
- Opened flower buds look ugly.
- Some flowers do not open.
There are several types of parasites. At the same time, the methods of combating it depend on the type of aphid. At the first signs of damage, it is necessary to immediately get rid of aphids. To do this, you need to choose the appropriate method and take preventive measures.
White
Dicotyledonous plants are most susceptible to attack by white aphids. Parasites are rare on domestic flowers. Aphids, covered with white pollen, penetrate the root system and suck out the juice. The plant dies.
Green
The parasite has a pale green color. Settles on bushes and trees. Dangerous for decorative Chinese roses, lemons, etc. Before winter, the female lays eggs near the buds. In the spring, the larvae hatch and parasitize the plant.
Black
Black aphids are dark in color and their body length reaches 5 mm. To pierce the foliage, a proboscis is located on the body of the parasite, with the help of which the insect drinks juice. Black aphids reproduce at a high rate because they do not need to mate. The larvae appear on young shoots of indoor plants and eventually move to adult specimens of vegetation.
Yellow
The yellow aphid has a corresponding color. Prefers to settle on coniferous vegetation near the buds. The primitive parasite does not spread to neighboring plants. One generation is hatched per year. Therefore, yellow aphids are few in number.
Bloody
The blood aphid is native to America. In its homeland, the insect parasitizes in the bark of elm trees. On the territory of Russia, the insect is found in gardens, rarely on domestic vegetation. The body of the parasite is covered with wool-like waxy threads.
Effective recipes
Various solutions using vodka in the composition also help to combat aphids.
First, it is better to test the effect of the liquid on a small area, for example, on one shoot. If burns appear after a day, the concentration of vodka should be reduced.
With soap shavings
For spraying, detergents are added to the vodka. Both household soap and specialized green soap, sold in gardening stores, are used. The proportions are as follows: dissolve 20 g of soap shavings in 1 liter of warm water, then add 300 ml of vodka or 150 ml of alcohol.
With soap
In addition to soap shavings, just soap is also used. The ratio is the same as in the case of soap shavings: 20 g of a piece of soap per liter of water and 150 ml of alcohol or 300 ml of vodka.
On a note! Liquid soap can also be used.
With Coca-Cola
The destructive effect of the popular American drink on aphids is explained by the presence of orthophosphoric acid in the composition, which is poisonous to them. This solution is prepared by combining equal parts of Coca-Cola and vodka. In addition, 20 g of soap and 100 ml of vodka can be diluted in a liter of Coca-Cola. It is advisable to keep Coca-Cola open for a day before this so that the gas escapes.
With vegetable oil
Another recipe for eliminating aphid colonies is to treat the affected plants with a mixture of vodka, soap and vegetable oil. To create this folk solution, take 100 ml of vodka, 300 ml of vegetable oil and 20 g of soap per liter of water.
The film that is formed with vegetable oil interferes with the respiratory processes of aphids. It is important to know that the smell of refined oil can attract mole crickets, so it is better to use unrefined oil.
On a note! Warm water is used to prepare these solutions.
Feeding tomatoes
Plants extract minerals from the soil. The main source of energy, carbon dioxide, is obtained from the air through photosynthesis. This only happens during the daytime, in good lighting conditions. The longer the daylight hours, the faster the culture develops.
During peak solar activity, plants absorb the maximum amount of carbon dioxide. There is enough of it in the environment, but not enough for tomatoes grown indoors. And if there is a lack of energy, any fertilizer will be ineffective.
Feeding indoor flowers and other plants with aloe juice
Read
Decembrist fertilizer: what to feed it so that it starts to grow well and bloom?
Look
Vegetable growers solve this problem by fertilizing with carbon dioxide. In large greenhouses, special cylinders are installed, and the process itself is automated. In amateur farms, tomatoes are fed with vodka. Ethyl alcohol is easily absorbed through the surface of the leaves and participates in metabolism.
Instructions:
- Prepare a 1% solution. One part of vodka is diluted in 40 parts of water. A bottle (0.5 l) is enough for 20 l of water or 100 ml for 4 l.
- Tomato bushes in a greenhouse are sprayed 1-2 times a week, for a month (from June 15 to July 15). They do this in the morning, when it is already sunny, but not yet hot. At this time, alcohol does not evaporate so quickly from the surface of the leaves. The solution is not stored. Each time a new portion is prepared.
This treatment will enhance the effect of basic fertilizers, improve yield and taste characteristics.
Autumn feeding with vodka accelerates the ripening of late-ripening varieties. Suitable for tomatoes in greenhouses and open ground. This is especially relevant in areas of risky farming. Apply at the end of the season, when the fruits are already formed, but there is a possibility that they will not ripen themselves:
- A glass of vodka (250 ml) is diluted in a bucket of water.
- Water in the first half of the day, at the root, 0.5 liters per bush, 1-2 times a week.
Root feeding is continued until the phase of technical or biological ripeness of the fruit.
Processing Features
Trees
When aphids are destroyed, the tree crown is protected from the shepherd of these parasites - the ant. These insects graze and transmit aphids. To block access, traps are made on the trunk. The trunk is wrapped in old fabric 20–40 cm wide. This tape is then covered with fly strips. Then millet is poured around the circumference of the tree.
For a flowering tree, the recipe with soap shavings is not suitable.
Shrubs
The recipe for bushes is the same as for trees. Aphids often attack currants. If the upper branches are infested with aphids, you can try to save them by dipping them in the solutions described above for a few seconds. As a last resort, cut it off. It is advisable to spray the remaining parts of the bush with the solution. After this, millet should be sprinkled around the bush.
Vegetables and berries
When spraying tomatoes, a product made from vodka destroys pathogens. At the same time, the tomatoes ripen faster. This solution is also suitable for cucumbers. Strawberries and strawberries are more tender crops. Coca-Cola solutions are suitable for them.
To understand the effect of the solution on plants, one type of bush or shoot is pre-treated. Monitoring is carried out throughout the day. If everything is fine and there are no burns, then the entire garden is sprayed.
Roses and chrysanthemums
Vodka is effectively used against aphids and on beautiful roses. Soft and delicate flowers are highly susceptible to mechanical stress from accidental touches and chemical stress from drops and fumes. For flower crops, solutions with soap and vodka are used, since other solutions will affect the color and texture of the flowers too much.
It is best to process in the evening in calm and not rainy weather with the same care as shrubs.
Houseplants
For indoor plants, use a solution of 50 ml of vodka per liter of water. Processed dry in the evening. Among indoor plants, ficus and balcony lobelias tolerate alcohol solutions very well.
It doesn’t matter - sensitive crops such as Saintpaulia or Gloxinia. They are processed in extreme cases. Half an hour after spraying, the plants are additionally washed with a stream of water.
The rest of the flowers need to be checked for alcohol tolerance.
Herbal infusions
In order not to cause burns to plants, before the first use, test the prepared infusion on a limited area, and only then, after making sure that the product is effective, treat the entire area.
RECIPES
- Onion Finely chop 30 grams of onion. Infuse in a liter of water for 5 hours. You can add husks.
- GarlicInfuse 200 grams of chopped garlic in a liter of water. Before use, dilute 25 milliliters of infusion in 10 liters of water.
- Chamomile Infuse 100 grams of chamomile inflorescences in a liter of water. Spray the plants with this solution: 1 part infusion, 3 parts water and 4 grams of soap per liter.
- Dandelion infusion: Infuse 400 grams of leaves and 200 grams of roots of flowering dandelions in 10 liters of water for 3–4 hours.
- Infusion of marigolds, fill half a bucket of crushed plants with flowers to the top with water and leave for 2 days. Strain, add 40 grams of soap.
- Pepper: Infuse 1 kilogram of fresh or 300 grams of dried hot pepper pods in 10 liters of water. Before use, dilute 1 part of the infusion in 10 parts of water.
Efficiency of the method
Let's look at some reviews about the results of fighting aphids using vodka, the effectiveness of which many gardeners have already been able to verify.
"Thanks a lot! I treated it with vodka, so far it’s effective - not a single green animal is visible anymore. I hope it helps! " (Katerina M.)
“Spraying with vodka and Coca-Cola worked well.” (Love L.)
“I once splashed vodka
