will neem oil kill the aphids??????

jillian · September 11, 2015

I do not like to use insecticides, but I have already pulled a couple of cucumber plants that were destroyed by aphids. I replanted and now they are beginning again. I have used soap and water spray but that does not help. They must prefer cukes, everything else is okay. Advice please, I need to stop these before it gets any worse. Thanks!!

kayrobbins · September 11, 2015

Neem does not kill on contact and only works on pests that chew leaves. Aphids don't chew leaves so it is not a good choice. You can use and insecticidal soap or a strong spray of water to get rid of aphids.

jillian · September 11, 2015

Okay so I went and bought some fertilome triple action neem oil, this is what my garden center recommended as the soap and water spray has not worked. It also contains a fungicide and I am okay with that. The very first insect listed on the label is aphids, so I am encouraged. I just applied it to the cukes. Also the pumpkins and okra as I noticed just a few on those leaves as well. Fingers crossed, toes too!

clkeiper · September 11, 2015

Neem does not kill on contact, BUT what it does do and how it works is that it interrupts the reproductive cycle of the aphids... so, yes it will eventually look like it works... just not as a knock down insecticide. I had a huge infestation in my high tunnel on the peppers and I sprayed last Saturday night and there is relatively nothing out there now. I did also add a dab of insecticidal soap to the spray, too.

jillian · September 11, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by clkeiper

Neem does not kill on contact, BUT what it does do and how it works is that it interrupts the reproductive cycle of the aphids... so, yes it will eventually look like it works... just not as a knock down insecticide. I had a huge infestation in my high tunnel on the peppers and I sprayed last Saturday night and there is relatively nothing out there now. I did also add a dab of insecticidal soap to the spray, too.

Thanks for the info....wouldn't you know we are having a thunderstorm now, as I just sprayed. I can literally count on one hand how many times it has rained all summer long.
I guess I should apply again tomorrow???

clkeiper · September 11, 2015

I would reapply it tomorrow if there are still a large quantity of aphids on the plants after the rain.

jillian · September 11, 2015

I will reapply tomorrow, these evil things will NOT win!!!

**mdvpc** · September 12, 2015

Jillian-the best defense I have found for aphids is green lacewings.

b54red · September 13, 2015

I have never had great success with neem oil on aphids but it will slow them down eventually. Soaps and water sprays are only effective for a day or two before they need it again. Assassin bugs, ladybugs and lacewings are great predators and will be more effective than anything else but keeping them in the area is the problem. I usually have a horde of ladybugs in early spring and as soon as it gets hot they seem to go elsewhere except for a few of them.

Permethrin or pyrethrin sprays with neem or soap are very effective and they are very mild pesticides so they need reapplying if the infestation is heavy because they have such a short wait time usually of only one day or the same day. I have been using food grade diatomaceous earth mixed in water with some soap and sprayed on my tomatoes to combat mites and it seems to work on aphids along with almost everything else so you might want to try that. If you use it make sure to mix it well in a separate container and strain it into your sprayer to assure no lumps or clogging will happen.

Bill

kayrobbins · September 13, 2015

Bill, I have a question about assassin bugs. I have been working on increasing the number of beneficial insects in my garden. This is the first year I have had many assassin bugs. I know that it is recommended that you have some native grasses for them to over winter in. I don't have any but the last two times I have tried to trim my lemon basil back it has a lot them on the plants. There are none hanging out on the purple or sweet basil. Do you think they could be using that as a winter spot?

Most years I have a lot of green lacewings. This year I have none. I do have a good dragonfly and other pollinators but miss the lacewings. I even considered buying some.

AKmark · September 13, 2015

I use parasitic wasps in my large greenhouses, they are stone cold killers.

I have used most sprays mentioned, they work, but do not eliminate aphids, and probably do not work as well as wasps anyway. You have to watch the systemic affect of stuff like neem oil, when bees get pollen they may be affected too, at least from my own personal study observations.

jillian · September 13, 2015

Thanks for the info....I would not know where to begin with acquiring some lacewings. I have seen a few ladybugs and I know there must be some parasitic wasps bc I have seen the white sacs on the dreaded hornworms. I did reapply the neem oil and it does seem to be helping. Now I have another problem, one of my pumpkin plants which I know had some downy mildew now has some weird discoloration I have never seen. I am not sure how to post pics, but it appears some bacterial spot and the other thing I am baffled by. Brownish/purpleish veining that seemed to appear overnight! I cannot find any pics in my web searches that depict what they look like. Could this be tied in to downy mildew? The pumpkins on that plant have been stunted although they still look healthy. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been spraying with fungicide. What to do now?

b54red · September 15, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by kayrobbins

Bill, I have a question about assassin bugs. I have been working on increasing the number of beneficial insects in my garden. This is the first year I have had many assassin bugs. I know that it is recommended that you have some native grasses for them to over winter in. I don't have any but the last two times I have tried to trim my lemon basil back it has a lot them on the plants. There are none hanging out on the purple or sweet basil. Do you think they could be using that as a winter spot?

Most years I have a lot of green lacewings. This year I have none. I do have a good dragonfly and other pollinators but miss the lacewings. I even considered buying some.

Last year I had none and the year before I had a lot of them. This year I had a good many in the spring but they disappeared by the time it got hot but were replaced by leaf footed bugs which look similar but are definitely pests. Check to make sure you are not having leaf footed bugs. They are easy to tell apart because of the widened rear lower leg on leaf footed bugs.

Bill

Delerium · September 15, 2015

I usually blast the plants with water if it has aphids let the plant dry then apply some neem. I won't spray again unless i have a serious aphid infestation. Another thing that has worked well is to keep pruning the lower leaves off the plant as the plant grows to keep the aphids off the plants just like you do with tomatoes. This has worked wonders to keep bugs from destroying plants.

kayrobbins · September 15, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by b54red

Last year I had none and the year before I had a lot of them. This year I had a good many in the spring but they disappeared by the time it got hot but were replaced by leaf footed bugs which look similar but are definitely pests. Check to make sure you are not having leaf footed bugs. They are easy to tell apart because of the widened rear lower leg on leaf footed bugs.

Bill

I am all too familiar with leaf footed and stink bugs. I had never seen them in my garden until 3 years ago and they became my main pest. This year I have seen less than one dozen. I have been working on adding insectary plants and luring as many beneficials as I can.

September 11, 2015	#1
jillian Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: North Carolina Posts: 880	will neem oil kill the aphids?????? I do not like to use insecticides, but I have already pulled a couple of cucumber plants that were destroyed by aphids. I replanted and now they are beginning again. I have used soap and water spray but that does not help. They must prefer cukes, everything else is okay. Advice please, I need to stop these before it gets any worse. Thanks!!

September 11, 2015	#4
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	Neem does not kill on contact, BUT what it does do and how it works is that it interrupts the reproductive cycle of the aphids... so, yes it will eventually look like it works... just not as a knock down insecticide. I had a huge infestation in my high tunnel on the peppers and I sprayed last Saturday night and there is relatively nothing out there now. I did also add a dab of insecticidal soap to the spray, too. __________________ carolyn k

September 11, 2015	#6
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	I would reapply it tomorrow if there are still a large quantity of aphids on the plants after the rain. __________________ carolyn k

September 12, 2015	#8
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Jillian-the best defense I have found for aphids is green lacewings. __________________ Michael

September 11, 2015	#2
kayrobbins Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Jacksonville, Fl Posts: 820	Neem does not kill on contact and only works on pests that chew leaves. Aphids don't chew leaves so it is not a good choice. You can use and insecticidal soap or a strong spray of water to get rid of aphids.

September 13, 2015	#9
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I have never had great success with neem oil on aphids but it will slow them down eventually. Soaps and water sprays are only effective for a day or two before they need it again. Assassin bugs, ladybugs and lacewings are great predators and will be more effective than anything else but keeping them in the area is the problem. I usually have a horde of ladybugs in early spring and as soon as it gets hot they seem to go elsewhere except for a few of them. Permethrin or pyrethrin sprays with neem or soap are very effective and they are very mild pesticides so they need reapplying if the infestation is heavy because they have such a short wait time usually of only one day or the same day. I have been using food grade diatomaceous earth mixed in water with some soap and sprayed on my tomatoes to combat mites and it seems to work on aphids along with almost everything else so you might want to try that. If you use it make sure to mix it well in a separate container and strain it into your sprayer to assure no lumps or clogging will happen. Bill

September 13, 2015	#11
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	I use parasitic wasps in my large greenhouses, they are stone cold killers. I have used most sprays mentioned, they work, but do not eliminate aphids, and probably do not work as well as wasps anyway. You have to watch the systemic affect of stuff like neem oil, when bees get pollen they may be affected too, at least from my own personal study observations.

September 15, 2015	#14
Delerium Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: California Posts: 942	I usually blast the plants with water if it has aphids let the plant dry then apply some neem. I won't spray again unless i have a serious aphid infestation. Another thing that has worked well is to keep pruning the lower leaves off the plant as the plant grows to keep the aphids off the plants just like you do with tomatoes. This has worked wonders to keep bugs from destroying plants.