FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

These little guys survived dormancy as well. I've been picking them off by hand but I think this is a losing battle. How have the rest of you battled an aphid infestation? With the repotted plants I can't drown them anymore - it's not practical as the pot is too big. I should have soaked all the VFTs over a couple of days in water when I was repotting. It would have drowned all the critters.

So, I guess I need some chemicals?

Adam

Anrich is the king of coming up with creative ways of getting rid of pests without using harsh chemicals, so perhaps he'll chime in here.

As for me, I'd probably get some Orthenex and go at them! You could also use something more gentle that is made primarily to deal with aphids, but I've been impressed with Orthenex on my plants. It saved my Red Dragons this year.

Hello,

Submerge the whole plant for 2 minutes under water and the aphids should drown. Had that problem last year when someone gave me an infested plant.

hb

Drowning is no longer an option as the plants are in one giant pot now - and have been repotted into it 5 days ago.

I will try the chemical next week..

Adam

You can lie a flea collar or two across your pot, or spray with a systemic insecticide, wait 2 weeks & spray again-this will get any youngsters that spring up. I recently caught an early infestation on my Drosera capensis and was able to transfer them with a toothpick from the underside of the leaves to the top side where the hunters then became the hunted, and ultimately food for my capensis.

Ahoy!!!!
Thanks matt!!!!
Yeah you have a couple options. some are a bit weird but I have tested them all!!!
First, is moth balls, place a couple next to the pot and watch the critters run!
Second, is garlic, make a garlic tea, ( 2 table spoons crushed garlic with 250ml boiling water) and spray infected area making sure not to spray the soil. this won't kill the but it's like pepper spray to them!!
thirdly, you can use other insects like lady Bugs and praying mantis, ( take it you can catch them!) make a little terrarium with wooden skewers and cling wrap over your pot then add the bugs, lady bugs eat aphids but it's the babies that are the real killers, and praying mantis's will pick the plants clean one by one.
Ahoy hopes this helps!

That's really good advice anrich especially the praying mantis.
They're my favorite bugs.

Uhh... Do ladybugs defeat them?

By Defeat you mean Kill and Eat them? then yes..

I sprayed them with the Canadian equivelant of Orthonex. Probably won't see any in the next day.