DIYprojects.info

Dave -Turner · Guest

Today I noticed on my roses out the backyard that most of the bud sites are
covered in aphids. Now before i go on I should warn you that i put the "um"
in greenthumb and ive never tackled aphids before.

They all seem huddled up together in groups on the bud sites - i can't
really see any on the stems or anywhere else as such, so it seems like I
could get rid of most of them just by chopping off all the bud sites. I did
notice a few Ladybugs which is cool, but there's only a few of them and
perhaps thousands of aphids so the Ladybugs cant do it alone

So I want to kill the aphids but not the Ladybugs, anyone know any tricks?
other than breeding Ladybugs :P
Thanks

ant · Guest

Dave -Turner wrote:

Dave -Turner · Guest

gardenlen · Guest

too easy dave,

just spray the aphids of with a strong spray of water, then deal with
the ants the most likely cause of the aphids, also the lady bugs are
most likely eating the aphids so maybe sjut let a balance occur.

got some ideas on our remedies page for ghetting rid of ants.

On Thu, 24 Aug 2006 20:04:58 +0800, "Dave -Turner" <x@5.4.3.2.1>
wrote:

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.gardenlen.com

RooBoy · Guest

Almost as bad as Lipstick on my Collar

"Dave -Turner" <x@5.4.3.2.1> wrote in message
news:44ed954e$1@quokka.wn.com.au...

Dave -Turner · Guest

Farm1 · Guest

"Dave -Turner" <x@5.4.3.2.1> wrote in message

Farm1 · Guest

"gardenlen" <gardenlen2@bigpond.com> wrote in message

gardenlen · Guest

sorry farm1,

you maybe a bit off the mark there, ants not only have a symbiotic
relationship with sacle insects but also with mealy bugs and aphids
pretty much any thript. and aphids do secrete a sugary substance that
the ants use in their food chain.

in my life of gardening i have observed ants harvesting aphids not
only on roses but on other plants as well.

the aphid is flightless and can't crawl over the ground so the only
way it gets around is by being carried.

used to be a good way to predict rain when rose growers observed the
ants taking the aphids back underground so they won't be knocked off
their perch by heavy rain.

anyhow that's the nature of things and this is the only time in my 10
years online i have ever heard it any different.

On Fri, 25 Aug 2006 17:29:40 +1000, "Farm1" <please@askifyouwannaknow>
wrote:

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.gardenlen.com

Dave -Turner · Guest

Len can you expand a bit more on the ants <> aphids relationship? thanks
There are ant nests around each of my rose bushes but I'd never thought
anything of it as I didnt think ants had anything to do with roses or
aphids, but the food chain is a complex one

Jen · Guest

"gardenlen" <gardenlen2@bigpond.com> wrote in message
news:92hte25vi5m50k34a22hkuatebocb6heot@4ax.com...

gardenlen · Guest

g'day dave,

i'm no scientist here but that is how it is, yes you can have ants yet
not appear to have any of the problems they can bring, yes they too
are important in the organic aspect as they dispose of stuff and help
recycle it but they can bring the nasties, i don't see aphids as
particularly nastya s theya re so easy to get rid of once the ants
have been moved on.

and yes it can appear that there are no ants yet plants have aphids,
mealy bug, scale etc.,. but the ants are there or have been. all this
is just part of gardening lore.

same with potted plants tend to get mealy bug but only after the ants
have moved in.

ants don't pick plants because they are this or that they pick plants
suitable for whatever thrip they are harvesting.

the relationship is symbiotic and it isn't any discovery of mine, as i
said it is the nature of things, so mines not to reason why but to
learn the why and then get a fix if a plant is being affected.

also the reason why a lot of gardeners complain that it doesn't matter
what poison they use on these bugs they keep coming back, yep because
they haven't controlled the ants and when they do then the bug is gone
untill the ants come back maybe.

so if the ants are there they could have a herd of aphids tucked away
on the roots of the roses waiting for the right time to bring them
up??

the ants as i understand do not eat the aphid they only eat the sugary
substance that the aphids secrete.

and all those bugs are sap suckers not just aphids, mealy bugs and
scale live from sucking the sap or how would they live, just with
mealies and scale they might tend to secrete more sugary substance
than the ants can use so then the excess harbours sooty mould.

On Fri, 25 Aug 2006 17:52:52 +0800, in aus.gardens you wrote:

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.gardenlen.com

gardenlen · Guest

that's correct jan,

that is why i can't understand the statement made by a previous
poster.

in 25 years of gardening i have listened a lot i've seen a lot of tv
shows and read a lot of text online in the past 10 years but have
never heard of ants not farming those thript type bugs.

On Fri, 25 Aug 2006 12:49:51 GMT, in aus.gardens you wrote:

Dave -Turner · Guest

So if i destroy the ants nests at the bases of my roses bushes that would
have a significant effect on the aphid populations (by allowing other
predatory insects in that the ants wouldve otherwise kept away) ?

Thanks for your insights Len, its very much appreciated

gardenlen · Guest

that is how it has worked for me, aslo i don't think the aphids last
long without their farmers.

once the ants have gone simply hose off the aphids with a strong spray
of water if you use an atomiser bottle add a bit of detergent. moving
the ants on is the lynch pin but. i think one of the lady beetles eats
the very young aphids so guess if you don't have them then you may not
hae any predators.

On Sat, 26 Aug 2006 05:29:39 +0800, "Dave -Turner" <x@5.4.3.2.1>
wrote:

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.gardenlen.com