How to Kill Aphids Organically

By Barbara Pleasant
Published on January 15, 2013
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Illustration By Keith Ward
Some gardeners leave small aphid colonies intact in order to provide a food supply for beneficial insects such as lady beetles, lacewings, and hoverfly larvae.

This article is part of ourOrganic Pest Control Series, which includes articles on attracting beneficial insects, controlling specific garden pests, and using organic pesticides.    

Small sucking insects commonly called “plant lice” are usually aphids. Numerous species inhabit vegetable gardens, where they are a primary food source for important beneficial insects including lady beetles and lacewing larvae. Aphids become a problem when a species finds exactly the plant they desire, as often happens with cabbage aphids on fall crops of broccoli, kale or Brussels sprouts. Peas, beans, potatoes, tomatoes and other crops also can be seriously damaged when aphid colonies grow to a damaging size. Some aphids can transmit viral diseases in cucumber and tomato family crops. Learning how to kill aphids naturally is an important part of organic pest control.

What Are Aphids? 

Small, soft-bodied sucking insects, aphids typically have a pear-shaped body one-tenth of an inch or less in length. They may be winged or wingless, and often have colors that blend in with the leaf or stem being damaged. Young, tender growth is often preferred, because aphids feed by sucking plant juices through straw-like mouthparts. Aphids commonly feed in groups, and numerous species are found in gardens around the world.

What Does Aphid Damage Look Like? 

Curled, mottled leaves are a sign that aphids (or similar insects) are at work. In time, infested plants become stunted and sickly, and a great deal of chlorophyll may be lost when leaves are devastated by aphid feeding. When aphids infest a young stem it often curls and stops growing. Gray-green cabbage aphids often cluster in the sheltered spot where leaves join the stem, or inside broccoli heads or the outer leaves of Brussels sprouts.  

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