Topic: Can't shift the greenfly

[Bugloss2009]

just can't get rid of the greenfly on my chilis - been spraying them for weeks. Had to blast them off with a water hose

just looked at the insecticide bottle  - active ingredient rapeseed oil. Totally useless. "Bug Clear" btw

[chriscross1966]

Try Dr Bronners Castile Soap (look it up on ebay).... Covered in nut-job religious messages (though very hard to work out which religion it's promoting), a couple of drops of that in a pint sprayer seems to get rid of most aphids fast.... from memory it works by lowering the surface tension of the water to basically nil so the water travels into the aphids breathing spiracules and they suffocate.... quite quickly....
doesn't seem to hurt the plants cos  stomata will absorb water anyway....
chrisc

[BarriedaleNick]

I use neem oil - highly watered down with a bit of home made soap to emulsify the two.  Works a treat but doesnt smell so good..

[ajb]

Try Eradicoat http://defenders.co.uk/eradicoat.html

[tricia]

crissc - do you recommend Bronners Castile liquid soap for use against white fly?

Tricia

[chriscross1966]

crissc - do you recommend Bronners Castile liquid soap for use against white fly?

Tricia

It seems to do the job but I've rarely suffered whitefly infestation problems anyway and not since I started using the yellow sticky traps.... although they will catch the odd "good" insect they seem to be overwhelmingly favoured by the bad ones.....

fingers crossed I haven't cursed myself for this season..

chrisc

[gardentg44]

I would try this, i buy the concentrate

http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Weedkillers+Insecticides/Provado-Ultimate-Bug-Killer-1ltr/invt/0149816

[Bugloss2009]

that's what I got, gardentg44

my Madame Jeanette has THRIPS now I think, and a bit difficult to shift too

[grannyjanny]

At least with the Dr Bronner's soap if you get the lavender one they die very relaxed ;D. I used it last year & it worked fine. It has a multitude of uses.

[caroline7758]

Any idea why the Dr Bronners soap should work any better than ordinary washing up liquid, or is it just preferred because it's organic? If so, has anyone tried Ecover w.u. liquid?

[aj]

Catch a few ladybirds and pop them in the greenhouse...I usually put any greenfly-ed plants outside for a few days and they soon get eaten.

[Squash64]

I would try this, i buy the concentrate

http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Weedkillers+Insecticides/Provado-Ultimate-Bug-Killer-1ltr/invt/0149816

I've been fighting a losing battle against greenfly in the greenhouse, using insecticidal soap which had no effect at all.  I bought a bottle of the Provado concentrate and sprayed them yesterday and this morning there were lots of dead greenfly on the soil in the pots and no live greenfly on the plants.

Thank you gardentg44!

[Vinlander]

Catch a few ladybirds and pop them in the greenhouse...I usually put any greenfly-ed plants outside for a few days and they soon get eaten.

Ladybird larvae are better - easier to catch - but mainly because you can put them exactly where they are needed and they stay put, though the biggest ones might go into their cocoon before they finish the job.

Cheers.