Has a louse run down your liver? With these ten home remedies you can drive away the annoying aphids - without any chemicals.
Aphids are real nuisances: apparently overnight, the insects infest the garden and weaken the plants. As a result, the plants bear fewer fruits, are weak and even die. The aphid can also transmit diseases from one plant to another. No wonder then that the aphid should disappear.
But you don't always want to resort to chemical agents and insecticides - after all, they also damage beneficial insects that you actually want to keep in the garden. These ten home remedies that do not require any chemicals can help.
Home remedy 1: soapy water
Soapy water is a true classic in aphid control. Made from 150 to 300 g of soft soap (household soap or washing-up liquid are significantly less effective and not as environmentally friendly due to the perfumes they contain) and 10 l of water, this effective remedy against aphids is quickly made. The solution can now be applied with a spray bottle. On some indoor plants with aphids, for example orchids, you can simply wipe the leaves with a damp cloth. The application should be repeated several times and your plants will be aphid-free in no time.
Home remedy 2: nettle broth
The nettle broth is just as well known as soft soap. Although it only consists of the simplest means (water and fresh nettles), it reliably drives away light and medium-sized aphid infestations. About one kilogram of stinging nettles is steeped in ten liters of water for 12 to 24 hours and should be sprayed on the affected plants on the same day. In contrast to the notorious nettle manure, the broth is odorless and can be used around other people without a guilty conscience.
Home remedies 3: lend a hand
Sometimes it can be very simple - if an aphid infestation is detected early enough, the small pests can also be removed in the classic way: by hand. Collection is one of the most effective, albeit time-consuming, methods. If you want to make it a little easier for yourself, dab the plants carefully with a piece of adhesive tape. The aphids get stuck on the sticky side and can then be easily disposed of. Even a jet of water can sometimes work wonders. If the infestation is still small, the water will wash away the pests never to be seen again.
Home remedy 4: Oregano as aphid deterrent
Oregano doesn't just look good in the kitchen. The Mediterranean herb can also be used wonderfully as a remedy against aphids. Like a tea, 100 g of fresh or 10 g of dried oregano can be brewed with a liter of water. The whole thing should then steep for 20 minutes and then be sieved to remove the last bits of plant matter. Mixed with water in a ratio of 1:3 it makes an agent that is sprayed on the plants and repels aphids.
Home Remedy 5: Garlic and Onion
The smell of garlic and onions has successfully put many an admirer to flight. So why shouldn't it work for plants too? The essential oils of the plants also have a deterrent effect on aphids. 40 g of chopped garlic or onion are brewed with five liters of water. After the mixture has steeped for three hours, it is sieved. If the plant is now regularly sprayed with the agent, the aphids will disappear by themselves.
Home Remedies 6: Black Tea
Black tea is only enjoyed by humans - aphids don't like the hot drink at all. Two bags of black tea infused with one liter of water is therefore a sure means of repelling aphids. In order to have an optimal effect, the tea should steep for at least 15 minutes and this old household remedy will drive the aphids out of the garden. It is very easy to make in no time.
Home Remedy 7: Wormwood
The well-known medicinal plant is not only used to make the legendary schnapps absinthe- a tea made from wormwood is also a nice thing, because fortunately it doesn't get the aphids at all. 100 g of fresh wormwood leaves are scalded with one liter of water and poured through a fine sieve after 24 hours. You can then use the product undiluted not only against aphids, but also against other sucking insects - and without shedding a drop of bitterness.
Home Remedy 8: Natural Enemies
If you have three enemies, you have to get along with two: According to this motto, aphids can also be fought effectively. Because the annoying pests also have natural enemies who can be harnessed for you. Ladybugs, for example, not only look cute, but can eat up to 4000 aphids in their lifetime. But lacewings and their larvae also take effective action against the aphids. But you don't have to walk around laboriously collecting the little beneficial insects: you can now find ladybug eggs and co. in almost every well-stocked garden center. If you provide additional retreat and nesting space with insect hotels and deadwood, the new helpers feel particularly comfortable.
Home remedies 9: The right neighbors
Better safe than sorry: If you don't want to risk aphid infestation in the first place, you should consider a few things when choosing your plants. Because some plants drive aphids effectively - and thus protect not only themselves, but also their neighbors. Savory, for example, is avoided by aphids and offers reliable protection when positioned between threatened plants. Particularly strong-smelling herbs such as rosemary, oregano and thyme not only taste good, but also drive away vermin. And lavender is not only a beautiful decoration, but also drives moths out of wardrobes and aphids out of the garden.
Home Remedies 10: Neem Oil
Neem oil is a real miracle weapon in the fight against aphids and other pests. The oil, extracted from the seeds of the neem tree, contains the active ingredient azadirachtin, which deters pests from eating. Beneficial creatures, on the other hand, are not affected. If you spray the diluted neem oil (a few milliliters to one liter is enough) on the plants, the aphids stop eating - andstarve to death within a few days. However, the neem oil should not be used in strong sunshine or in rainy weather: strong sunlight increases the risk of burning the leaves from the oil, when it rains the agent is washed off immediately and cannot develop its effect.
If diluting the neem oil yourself is too tricky, you can also use ready-made preparations such as our Plantura organic pest-free neem. Our 100% herbal pesticide works reliably and naturally against aphids and other pests on garden and indoor plants.
You can find out how to use gall midges to combat aphids in our special article.