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Post by HaruShin on Jun 14, 2014 17:24:37 GMT -5
I have a mild aphid problem on my utrics, and all I can do is squash them with tweezers or submerge the whole pot for a few days. The numbers may subside, but they're never forever gone.
Now that summer's here, I went out looking to catch a few ladybugs in near parks, but I have not been able to see a single one. I heard they come in waves or something, and they're out all seasons, but there weren't even larvaes on the underside of leaves.
Is there a specific time of year when they come out?
These aphids are tormenting me and the plants with their potential infestation.
Thanks for the help, Ray.
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Post by Dennis A(cook1973) on Jun 14, 2014 17:33:28 GMT -5
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Post by lloyd on Jun 14, 2014 17:47:45 GMT -5
Aphids might just respond to the drowning idea. Any spray would probably burn the plants. Try peaty water, it might be more toxic to the aphids. Alternately a low concentration of Neem might work (search for the recipe in the forum).
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Post by vivgrows on Jun 14, 2014 20:55:40 GMT -5
You are right about the waves. Every spring in one of the west facing bedrooms, we have a major hatch of ladybugs around the windows inside. It is too cold to let the ladybugs out, so we go around the house and in the greenhouse looking for aphids to feed the masses. i can't figure out where they come from, and of course there is never an aphid to be found then. Then suddenly most are gone, only the dried up dead ones left behind. I find that when my indoor orchids go outside into a greenhouse for the summer, the aphids don't survive the change in location. I like to think that spiders, etc prey on the aphids. I seem to recall seeing advertisements for ladybugs in some of the garden centres. It might be worth investigating some centres in your area.
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Post by paulkoop on Jun 14, 2014 21:32:16 GMT -5
Yah years ago when i worked at a local nursery they would have then for maybe 2 weeks very small quantity of them tho then they dont get them anymore:p. do lady bugs eat thos annoying spit bugs?
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Post by HaruShin on Jun 14, 2014 23:45:28 GMT -5
Thanks for the info, guys. Guess I won't have much luck finding ladies in downtown Toronto lol.
Lloyd, I have drowned the plants quite a few times, and while it did seem to do the trick at the time, the little pests always come back. Perhaps the eggs aren't affected?
Aphids are like eyelashes in the eye, I tell you.
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Post by hal on Jun 15, 2014 0:26:59 GMT -5
Isopropyl alcohol diluted to 30% and dish soap. Works great on orchids. Might kill a Utric, though.
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Post by bonfield on Jun 15, 2014 11:08:57 GMT -5
Which Utrics are being affected most? I've treated them before, and the trick is isolating the infested containers in one enclosed area, doing a thorough inspection/eradiction of each one, and just doing a follow-up every couple days to finish off successive generations until all reproduction has been interrupted. They are also relatively fragile and can be damaged by light application of perlite dust(wear a particle filter mask). While they are capable of parthenogenesis, they will still have to reach a minimum size for it, and the isolation/follow-up inspection every 2-3 days can eventually eliminate every last one of them.
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