Aphids!!!

[growergray]

So after an uneventful year last year, I didn't know how scary this could be.

I wandered outside yesterday to take a peek at my minibogs and noticed that my Alata seems to have slowed down in growth. I looked closer and the newer leaves were CRAWLING with tiny green creatures . I really almost got nauseous.

So, time to bust out the big guns. The Savage Garden says Orthene is the best option. We have some Sevin Dust, but I have no idea if that's safe for CPs. This is my first time with Aphids and any help would be appreciated.

As I said I've got two minibogs and I'd like to prevent spreading to my others Sarrcs, VFTs, and drosera.

 

[Not a Number]

Systemic insecticides like Acephate (Orthene) or Imidacloprid (Merit) are best. Non-systemics that work well with CPs include Malathion, Pyrethrin and Neem Oil. Avoid soap and oil based products or anything with petroleum distillates - Neem Oil being an exception.

Sprays or soil drench are preferable over dust. I would not dust Drosera. Your Drosera present a problem as they often react adversely to sprays. A few TF members use Neem Oil sprays on Drosera with no ill effects but remember you have to "spray until runoff" which means washing off the mucilage dew and leaving the plant defenseless until it can produce more mucilage (if ever). Soil drench would work best with Drosera although I've spray just the crown of Drosera filiformis with a systemic to get rid of aphids.

Treat all your plants. The systemic will protect the uninfested plants and take care of any unoticed bugs. Repeat as directed on the minimum recommended interval on the infested plants and on the maximum interval for the uninfested ones.

Ladybugs could be fun although a good amount of them will end up feeding the CPs.

 

[thbjr]

This stuff did a great job on my aphids and came recomended by a 20 year grower. Best of all, it's available at both Lowes and Home Depot for about $5.
This is WAR!!!
Tom

 

[rco911]

LOL, i had a few sundews that had Aphids - i submerged the dews for a few days, and they were fine.... aphids drownd-ed.

 

[Not a Number]

This stuff did a great job on my aphids and came recomended by a 20 year grower. Best of all, it's available at both Lowes and Home Depot for about $5.
This is WAR!!!
Tom

That's the stuff I use. It's Imidacloprid and a pyrethroid (synthetic Pyrethrin-like chemical). It works great however it has caused red staining/burns on immature pitcher leaves in my case. This did not seem to harm the development of the leaves but they had unsightly and unnatural red blotches on them.

 

[growergray]

Ok guys, thanks for the help. Unfortunately drowning isn't an option.
Now, one of my mini-bogs is undrained. Do you think soil drenches would be ok for them, or should I just go with a spray?

 

[jimscott]

For small infestations the drowning approach works well. But for larger and less controlled, spraying is appropriate. Bayer has a product that used for roses that is also applicable for CP's.

 

[growergray]

Alright, I got the spray you guys suggested and gave all my outside CPs a good spray.
So now, I guess I wait.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[antechron]

I would also recommend using 2 kinds off and on so that you do not promote a resistant breed of aphid. I did that a few years back on a rose bush and MAN are they hard to kill. I tried using just about all the products on the market with different ingredients and all but nothing worked. I finally ended up getting really frustrated and raided my grandma's garage on a visit and found a VERY potent bug killer (unspecified for my own protection) that had been banned and removed from production as well as from homes. THAT worked great, I didn't have any bugs in my yard the rest of the year!

Moral of the story, just switch back and forth in the first place and save yourself the frustration.

 

[joossa]

I have used Ortho Systemic and the Bayer 3 in 1. The Ortho Systemic has worked as a soil drench for me as well. I too have seen leaf burn from using the Bayer, especially on Dionaea.

With aphids, timing is critical. Last season I lost a plant because it was too late when I applied the treatment. From now on I plan to treat all my plants (monthly) whether they have pests or not. If you think aphids are bad, just wait for the mealies...


Good luck with your plants. Oh, and tell us how it goes.