'Willpower & sheer idiocy combine in harmony'
Beating aphids, red lily beetles & ants: pyrethrum & bees
Fighting back against aphid colonies - especially under glass
APHIDS are a major pest in the conservatory. Cleaning in autumn is vital to remove eggs or hidden insects, which will continue to reproduce under frost-free conditions during winter.
So what are these vile creatures? They're sap-sucking insects, also known as greenfly and blackfly, although they can be yellow, pink, white or mottled. Most feed on foliage, stems and flowers, but some suck sap from roots.
There are more than 500 aphid species in the UK and almost all plants can be affected by one type or another.
If you're in any doubt, your plants will show these symptoms:
Obvious colonies on shoot tips, flower buds and the underside of younger leaves.
Stunted growth with curled or distorted leaves, weakening the plant.
Sticky 'honeydew' on plant and surroundings, often with black sooty mould on it.
White cast skins on the surface of leaves and soil.
STV has a great selection of pesticide free products for every pest under the sun (except cold callers).
Green Screen Slug Guard - barrier for ultimate protection against slugs and snails damaging plants. It's pre-folded for easy use and assembly and comes in an 8-metre pack that can be folded and cut to size.
Repeller Ribbon - iridescent tape flashes and reflects light to repel birds, deer and other nuisance animals to protects fruit and vegetable gardens, seedling and newly-seeded lawns. It's weatherproof and durable, in a 30 metre pack and is safe for wildlife and pets.
Natural Ant & Insect Control for Lawns and Patios - made from natural ingredients, it's pesticide free and ideal for ant control in the garden. Environmentally friendly, each pack treats up to 40 square metres.
The winner of my STV goode bag competition is Monika Szabo, @Lillly_ - congratulations.
For more information on the products, visit www.stvpestcontrol.com.
Natural protection against pests
WE HAVE A WINNER
Tomato leaf solution
TOMATO leaves contain toxic compounds called alkaloids, released when they are chopped. When diluted with water, they make a spray that is toxic to aphids, but safe around plants and humans.
Take 2-3 handfuls of chopped leaves and steep them overnight in a pint of water. Strain the leaves out, add another pint of water to the liquid, then use in a spray bottle.
Caution: If you are allergic to members of the nightshade family, don't use this spray.
ARCHAIC plant remedies*: the smell of foliage on elder twigs drives away aphids.
A solution of chopped elder leaves, soap and water works well on infestations of plums and greengages.
A similar solution of rhubarb leaves, which contain oxalic acid, is also recommended.
Burning of laurel leaves in a greenhouse is supposed to kill aphids, thrips and red spider mite.
*From The Gardener's Folklore, Margaret Baker, published David & Charles, 1977.
In autumn, fill an large metal can with oak leaves and let them smoke. Apparently, the smoke kills the aphids. Not recommended for conservatories!
How our ancestors' remedies worked
Spotting trouble
THE first step is vigilance. Inspect your plants closely at least twice a week and squash any you see. On stronger plants, blast them off with a hose.
Killing one or two sends off a chemical signal that may warn other aphids to stay away.
Red lily beetles
RED lily beetle adults and larvae can defoliate lilies and fritillaries in a day.
Should you be in any doubt, adults are 8mm long, bright red with a black head and legs.
Eggs are 1mm long and orange-red, found in groups on the underside of leaves.
Larvae have orange bodies with black heads but are normally covered with their own slimy black poo. The fully grown larvae are 8-10mm long. The pupal stage is in the soil.
The beetle became established in Surrey in 1939 and stayed in SE England until the late 1980s. It has now spread to the NE of Scotland.
If you spot them, report them to www.rhs.org.uk/science/plant-pests/lily-beetle
Organic controls
BANTAMS like to eat the adults, but not the disgusting larvae.
Grow lilies in pots and change the soil every winter - then spread it out thinly and let the birds exact your revenge (thanks to Harriet Rycroft for that one).
Carefully dig in the top half inch of the soil, as they hide just under the surface - be ready to get them when they pop out.
The adults are jittery when you try to pick them by hand, and drop to the soil upside down. As they have black bellies, you can't see them, so put a light-coloured cloth under the plant before you hand-pick in order to see them.
There's a suggestion that the Chelone (Turtlehead) planted next to lilies may act as a repellent.
Make a garlic oil spray
GARLIC contains sulphur, which is toxic to pests and is an antibacterial and antifungal agent. The soap in also breaks down the bodies of soft-bodied pests. Take 3-4 cloves of garlic, mince them and add two teaspoons of rapeseed oil. Leave for 24 hours.
Sieve out the garlic, and add the liquid to one pint of water. Add one teaspoon of liquid dish soap/Fairy liquid. This mixture can be stored and diluted.
When you need to spray, use two tablespoons of the mixture added to one pint of water in a spray bottle.
To use, test by spraying an inconspicuous part of the plant to see if your mixture harms it. If there are no signs of damage after a day or two, it is safe to use.
If there is leaf damage, dilute and try the test again.
Warning: Garlic oil is a non-selective insecticide, which means that it will kill beneficial insects as well.
Quick anti-aphid tips
ANTS 'farm' and guard aphids to harvest their honeydew - put sticky traps on tree trunks to prevent ants reaching and safeguarding colonies.
Attract aphid predators such as lacewings and ladybirds with mint, fennel, dill, yarrow, clover.
Alliums are said to drive aphids away.
High levels of nitrogen encourage weak, sappy growth which aphids love. Using slow release organic fertiliser to avoid a nitrogen spike.
Use yellow sticky traps to capture flying aphids and monitor their arrival.
10 ant prevention & repellent tricks to try
1. Lemon juice: The acidity affects their tracking sense.
2. Cinnamon/cloves: Use the ground spice or the essential oil where there are coming in and the oil around doors, windowsills, floors, etc. Place cinnamon sticks around the kitchen/pantry for extra protection. Cloves/clove oil work just as well.
3. Peppermint/mint: Spray peppermint essential oil around any entry points. Mint destroys their smelling capabilities. Plant mint near doors and close to areas where you have seen anthills. Place mint leaves in and around windows and in the pantry.
4. Preventative plants: These plants ward off ants - the stronger the smell, the more likely it'll work: basil, chillies, eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary, thyme.
5. Chalk: Ants will not cross a line drawn in chalk.
6. Baking powder and icing sugar: The baking powder reacts unpleasantly with acid inside their bodies!
7. Coffee grounds: Stuff it into any entry holes - it doesn’t kill them, but moves them a small distance away.
8. Vinegar: Use equal parts vinegar/water solution for washing down the kitchen. Its fungicidal and insecticidal properties help prevent ants. Cheap neat vinegar poured on a nest will kill them.
9. Garlic: Place peeled, sliced cloves in areas where you have seen ants enter. Replace after a couple of days.
10. Black pepper: Scatter where you see ants - you can track the back to their exit point, then treat that area with pepper.
Common black ants farming blackfly on a cardoon.
Prepare against an ant attack
IT'S best to be prepared with ants - this summer, I used Defenders Natural Ant Killer from STV.
Its active ingredient is diatomaceous earth, a talc-like silicaceous sedimentary rock, made up mostly of the fossilised remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae.
The fine powder absorbs lipids from the waxy outer layer of insects' exoskeletons, causing them to dehydrate.
I had a problem last year with common black ants 'farming' aphids for their honeydew on cardoons in the front garden and on one of my apple trees.
Apply where ant activity is seen and into the nest if possible.
It takes approximately 72 hours to see results - repeat treatment after watering or rain.
Keep ants off your pants in the garden or home
I ALWAYS associated ants with hot summer holidays abroad - not any more. It seems we keep having our own little invasions.
There's a misconception that 'flying ants' are always a different species - black ants mate on the wing, so these are males (drones) and queens, which have wings.
Common black ants don't sting, but the UK has red, wood and other flying ants that do, especially in warm weather or when threatened. You’ll feel a nip, but ants have less toxin in their sting than wasps or bees. The only evidence will probably be a pale pink mark.
However, problems arise when they get in the house, usually be in summer when a new colony is establishing, where they can burrow through brick and mortar.
First job - cleanliness. Keep your kitchen clean.
Do not leave crumbs or rubbish around, and keep all food, including pet food, in tightly-sealed containers. Don’t leave uneaten pet food in bowls.
Remove furniture and debris near the house. Wash down jam and honey jars, then store on water-filled saucers in the cupboard.
PYRETHRUM, pyrethroids and pyrethrins - the facts:
Pyrethrum is a name for a group of natural insecticides that are extracted from chrysanthemum flowers. The extract is called pyrethrum, and the insecticides within that extract are referred to as pyrethrins. They are less harmful than most chemicals to humans and mammals, but are still toxic to other creatures, including bees.
Pyrethrins are used in household insect sprays, outdoor and indoor herbicides, lice treatments, and flea and tick treatments. They’re often mixed with other chemicals to make them effective for longer, often pyrethroids, the synthetic version.
Insecticides labelled as containing pyrethrum and one of these other chemicals are usually more toxic than pyrethrum-based insecticides alone.
Pyrethrum is classed as moderately toxic to bees and can kill them. To avoid harming them, apply pyrethrum insecticides only in the late evening, night or early morning - bees least likely to come in contact with the insecticide.
Do not apply to blooming plants on nights when dew is forecast or when temperatures are expected to be below 16C/60F. The residual effects are twice as hazardous to bees.
Liquid formulations are usually less dangerous to bees than dusts or granular forms. Pyrethrum dusts can be carried on the bees back to the hive, where the queen may be affected.
Pyrethrins are only mildly toxic to humans, but chemical enhancer piperonyl butoxide is considered a human carcinogen.
If you do use them, wear eye protection, long trousers, a long-sleeve shirt and a respiratory mask to minimize your exposure.
Cats and fish show a heightened sensitivity to toxicity, even in very low doses, so avoid use if you have a pond - or a cat.
Using pyrethrum & its toxicity to bees
