How to Get Rid of Aphids Fast Using Home Remedies

Despite their tiny size, aphids are among several tiny white bugs can cause long-lasting damage to your plants if they aren’t dealt with quickly. Aphid infestation is often associated with deteriorating plant conditions such as stunted plant shoots and yellow leaves. Here are our top suggestions for getting rid of aphids quickly using natural home remedies.

1. Suffocate the Aphids with White Oil Spray

White oil is a type of horticultural oil that does an excellent job of controlling insects like aphids, mealy bugs, and leaf miners. The pests won’t be able to develop resistance to it over time because the oil works by blocking the insect’s body pores, which eventually leads to suffocation. One way to make your own white oil is by mixing a cup of ordinary cooking oil with a quarter cup of dish-washing liquid.

Apply the white oil solution to both sides of infested leaves. We suggest only using this white oil spray on broad-leaved plants. Don’t use it on soft-leaved plants like cabbages because the white oil may cause the leaves to burn.

2. Dip the Plant in a Bucket of Water

For small to medium-sized plants, a quick solution to getting rid of aphids is by dipping the plant in a bucket of water. This works well for plants that have delicate foliage. Alternatively, you can also knock out the aphids by spraying water from a garden hose. These methods work best for mild aphid infestations.

3. Introduce Natural Predators

Ladybugs absolutely love feasting on aphids so it’s not a bad idea to use biological control to get rid of aphids. There are retailers that sell live ladybugs but you will most often find that bugs will fly away immediately unless you make your garden a place where they want to hang around. There are a few ways to make your yard an attractive place for ladybugs, one of which is to grow plants they like such as cilantro and marigold.