big trouble with aphides!!!!

[IIwall]

i am a new user so am a little inexperienced with the forum. i have a question in regards to aphides, i have a series aphid problem on the cascade hops i am growing of my back deck. what can i do to get rid of them without damaging the hops????? thanks for the help.

IIwall

[speed]

i've heard you can mix up a soap solution but hopefully someone else that has had experience with it can chime in.

[Bugeater]

This is a problem that smokers can help you with. Collect a whole bunch of cigarette & cigar butts in a coffee can and add water to steep for a few days. Strain out the tobacco and use the "tea" to spray on the plants. Nicotine is a natural insecticide and will do the job on the aphids. The stuff will break down and go away after being on the plants a few days and will completely wash off when it rains. Adding a few drops of dish soap to the tea will increase the effectiveness even more against the soft bodied bugs. The nicotine tea alone is somewhat effective against Japanese beetles (look a lot like lady bugs) that also wreak havoc on hops.

This stuff won't harm the hops and is biodegradable so it is one of the safer things to use. I've been using this for over 30 years for pests getting into my tomatoes.

Wayne

[RedRory]

I would but some ladybugs from your local nursery. I can order them online a well. They will be hungry as hell when you get them, and will eat up all your pests.

[Spelt]

Actually for aphids, you can clear them with a strong blast of water from the hose. No chemicals required. Just direct the stream up from the bottom of the plant as you go. Works well except when the bines are 20 ft tall. Also, you need to get the aphids off the plant before they invade the cones. Once their in the cones, most any method you try will not work because they're so well protected. Have to wait for the winter freeze and try again next year at that point.

[boobookittyfuk]

I would but some ladybugs from your local nursery. I can order them online a well. They will be hungry as hell when you get them, and will eat up all your pests.

^^^^ this actually works ^^^^
just open the box near your aphid infestation. Some will fly away, but they should do the trick.

[TheDarkSide]

I would but some ladybugs from your local nursery. I can order them online a well. They will be hungry as hell when you get them, and will eat up all your pests.

This must be fun to watch too.

[daneurysm]

Fortunately, I haven't found Aphids yet, but there are some Japanese Beetles on my Cascades too. They actually seem to be preferentially attacking the Centennial and Fuggles, but not too much on the Cascades. I have also heard that the nicotine solution works quite well, and I'll likely give it a whirl on the hops and the roses. Thanks for the tips folks!