If you are worried about the aphid infestation on your garden plants, here is what to spray on aphids to make them go away completely.
Aphids are pests that infest plants growing in unhealthy environments with poor soil quality and too many plants.
Aphid populations can thrive and destroy an entire plant in very little time. They replicate quickly and are very difficult to control once they have spread.
In this blog, we will look at sprays and insecticides that you can use to kill, repel, or deter aphids in your garden.
Does Sevin Kill Aphids?
Sevin Insect Killer is an effective contact insecticide ideal for the targeted treatment of plants. It is effective on more than 500 types of pests, including aphids.
This insecticide has a nozzle to spray a strong stream on your plants. The chemical may take some time to work, but it is very useful in controlling stubborn aphid infestations.
Does Sevin Dust Kill Aphids?
Sevin Insect Killer is available in both spray and dust form. If you use the dust form for an aphid infestation, sprinkle a thin layer on the plants that only kills the insects.
The dust may harm the plants, and you should monitor the effects on your plant daily.
Does Spinosad Kill Aphids?
If you notice dark spots on your plants that look like sooty mold, they are most likely the result of an aphid infestation. Spinosad can work on aphid infestations, but it is much slower than other insecticides.
Once sprayed on the spots, it will attack the larvae of the aphids, paralyzing and ultimately killing them within a few days.
Does Captain Jacks Kill Aphids?
Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew is popular as one of the insecticides that can control dangerous plant pests.
You can use this spray on many pests, but it is ineffective for sucking pests like aphids. It might get rid of the infestation for a short while, but it will not remove them completely.
Does Avid Kill Aphids?
Avid insecticide spray can kill aphids in contact. It is a horticultural oil that you can use on different types of mites and leaf insects, but it is also effective on aphids.
However, you should not use it as the go-to solution since it can be harmful to your plants and other beneficial insects.
Does Soap and Water Kill Aphids?
A soap and water mixture is one of the best solutions to control aphids. Mix dishwashing soap in water in a 1:5 ratio and put it in a spray bottle.
Use the spray on plants as a repellant or as an insecticide. When used as a repellant, it makes a layer on the leaves, which deters aphids from settling on them.
This solution is also safe to use and does not have any major effect on plants or other beneficial insects.
Besides chemical products, you can also use some organic solutions to control pests like aphids in your garden. Let’s discuss them below.
Do Essential Oils Kill Aphids?
Essential oils like rosemary, peppermint, clove, and thyme can be effective solutions to control aphid infestations.
Mixing any or all of these with a quarter of water and using it as a spray on plants can kill aphids and other pests like mites.
Does Vinegar Kill Aphids?
Vinegar can help control aphid infestations and even improve the overall health of your plant. Vinegar can reduce the risk of plant lice that occur on the underside of leaves.
Mix 1 part vinegar with 1.5 part water to make an effective solution. Make sure to repeat the spray a few times over a week for the best results.
Does Neem Oil Kill Aphids?
Neem oil is another organic solution that works as an insecticide for soft insects. All you need to do is have a spray bottle of water-soaked neem leaves that you can spray on your plants.
The neem oil from the leaves kills the bugs and affects their ability to feed and reproduce.
Does Tomato Leaf Spray Kill Aphids?
Tomato leaf sprays are one of the most effective sprays for aphids and for destroying aphid eggs. Plants from the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes, contain alkaloids that are toxic to insects.
You can soak a few chopped-up tomato leaves in water overnight and use the solution as a spray on leaves to control the aphid infestations.
Does Garlic Oil Spray Kill Aphids?
Garlic oil is a good pest repellant for most bugs, and it can also work on aphids. A good garlic oil spray can help control aphids, but it might also be harmful to the soil if you use too much.
The spray can also cause irritation to one’s eyes and nose, which is why you should use protective clothing when spraying it.
Does BT Kill Aphids?
The pest-control bacteria Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) can control aphid infestations as well.
BT is one of the best ways to control most household pests, and recent research has shown that it can also work on aphids.
Other aphid predators like lady beetles, soldier beetles, or parasitic wasps are another good way of addressing aphid infestations.
What Kills Aphids on Contact?
A contact insecticide such as organophosphate can do the job well. There are both organic and chemical insecticides that you can use on aphid infestations.
Some are good for only killing them once, but others are excellent repellants as well. You should spray insecticides on the undersides of leaves, where you will find most infestations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make a natural aphid spray?
There are many recipes for homemade aphid spray, but one of the most effective and simplest to make is a soap and water solution.
To create this solution, mix together 1 tsp of dish soap with a quart of water (In a 1:5 ratio). Spray the mixture directly on any plants with aphids.
What kills aphids permanently?
Insecticidal soaps and oils are one of the most effective solutions to deal with an aphid problem. Regularly spraying the plants with a strong stream of this solution can kill aphids permanently.
Introducing natural predators of aphids into the garden can also help to keep the aphid population in check.
How do you kill aphids fast?
One of the fastest ways to kill aphids is to use a strong stream of water and soap or insecticide sprayed on an infestation.
Since spraying too many chemicals can be dangerous to the plants, you can also use horticultural oils, neem oil, and other home remedies to remove the aphids fast.
What is the best aphid killer?
Alcohol and petroleum-based insecticidal oils can be the best solution to control an aphid infestation. Using sticky traps and specially targeted insecticides can also help control aphids.
There is, unfortunately, no single solution for the best aphid killer, and you have to try a certain product out to see if it works efficiently.
Final Words
You should be worried about an aphid infestation the day you notice the first signs. There are many ways to control aphids, such as Sevin, vinegar, neem oil, garlic oil, and tomato leaf spray.
One of the best ways is to simply attract insects like lacewings, beetles, and ladybugs who can both deter and kill aphids. Thank you for reading!
Reader Emails
Over the years, our readers have sent us several emails on this topic. Please go through them below.
Letter 1 – Male Woolly Aphid
Fly?
Hello,
There are lots of these little guys flying around my home in Haliburton ON. Hoping you can tell me a little bit about them. Thanks,
Jamie
Hi Jamie,
We can tell you this is not a fly as it has four wings and flies have but two. Maybe it is one of the Microlepidoptera. We are going to check with Eric Eaton and Julian Donahue to see if either can identify the family, genus or species.
Three Corrections: (11/09/2007)
Daniel:
Hahahahahaha! It fooled you:-) The images are of an aphid, probably one of the woolly aphids. They are dispersing now to alternate host plants where they will overwinter.
Eric
Microlepidoptera–Not! This is a male homopteran. My best shot is a Woolly Aphid, family Eriosomatidae. That’s the closest I can key it out from the photo–thank goodness the wing venation is clearly visible, as it fits this family perfectly.
Julian
Hello,
I am only a ninth grader, so I don’t claim to know much, but I think that the mystery microlepidoptera is actually a woolly apple aphid (Aphididae// //Eriosoma). I live in Wisconsin, and we have many of these little critters flying around our crab apples. They don’t seem to harm our trees much, but I have noticed that in late summer in the evening they will fly off the trees and “hover” in the air until dark. Another thing about the woolly aphids is that their “wool” will rub off if you try to catch them, which may be why this bug is not so furry. Thank you so much for creating such a wonderful site and advocating the wonderful world of bugs, it is definitely one of my favorite web pages-it is amazing. I hope I was of some help, if I am correct about this insect.
Amy
Fellow Bug Lover from La Crosse
Letter 2 – Wooley Aphid or Fungus???
tentacled moth?
I know a bit about bugs, certainly enough, to know this bug certainly defies classification in any normal group. Sadly it was already dead when I found it, and I actually caught it thinking it was simply a plant wisp caught in the breeze. Upon further inspection I found a very little insect body attatched to all the wispys. I’m of the mind that it is some kind of moth with incredibly strange wings (which are quite sticky, its a very hard bug to put down). Please let me know if you have any idea what this creature is, I haven’t had any luck. The pictures aren’t the best, but on the close up you can see it has legs and a head. I figure with the strange wing wisps it shouldn’t be hard to either identify or recognize as a new critter.
Thanks, Duncan
West Chester, PA
Hi Duncan,
Eric Eaton helped us to correct this one. He writes: This is a “woolly aphid of some kind. There aren’t that many species, but you have to link them to the host tree to conclude what they are.”
Update:
(01/11/2007) bug images on WTB
Dear Bugman,
I enjoyed visiting your site. It really doesn’t compete with BugGuide.net, since you have posted lots of foreign insects that they bar from that site. For example, you have some really nice photos of the primitive treehopper Aetalion (which is tropical). I thought you might like to know about the following:
(4) The “woolly aphid” is actually an insect infested by a fungus, that has sent out long fungal filaments.
Thanks for helping to spread an interest in Homoptera. We need to encourage the amateur.
Andy Hamilton
Letter 3 – Woolly Aphid
Hey there.
We found this “blue fly with a fur coat” flying around our yard. Any idea what it might be? We live in Chelsea, Québec ,Canada. Love your site! It’s super useful. Thanks for your help,
Celine & Marc
Hi Celine and Marc,
This is a Woolly Aphid in the genus Eriosoma. The winged ones are males.
Letter 4 – Woolly Aphid
Can you please tell me what this is?
July 17, 2009
What a wonderful site you have!! I have sent you another donation to support all your efforts. I love insects and am trying to put a personal book together of all the photos I’ve taken of them. This beautiful little creature flew past me and landed on a leaf. At first I thought it was a piece of lint until I caught a gleam from its wings. It allowed me to pick it up on a piece of paper and I then put it on a black background for a photo. I think it’s adorable and looks like a tiny white mouse. I’ve looked through all my books and can’t identify it. Can you tell me what it might be?
Hilma Anderson
Detroit, Michigan suburb
Dear Hilma,
Thanks for your donation in support of our site. For the record, we have no way of knowing when we open our mail if a querant has donated to our site. We post letters and photos for various reasons. In the case of your letter, it is the gorgeous quality of your stunning photograph of a Woolly Aphid. BugGuide has a photo of a winged individual, but there is not much information on the genus Eriosoma. The life cycle of the Woolly Aphid is fascinating, because like other aphids, females can give birth to young without mating. Here is what the University of Minnesota website says about the life cycle of the Woolly Aphid: “Woolly aphids generally have two hosts: a primary host on which they overwinter, and a secondary host on which they spend much of the summer. Most woolly aphids share a similar life cycle, although some details of the life cycle may vary among species. They usually overwinter as eggs laid in bark of their primary host. In spring, the eggs hatch into females which give birth without mating. Each female can produce hundreds of offspring, so populations can grow rapidly. After one or two generations on the primary host, winged females are produced, and they fly to secondary hosts. They remain on secondary hosts for the remainder of the summer, producing several generations of young aphids. In late summer or early fall, a different group of winged females flies back to a primary host where they give birth to tiny male and female aphids that mate. Gravid females deposit a single large egg (or eggs) into protected locations in the bark and then die. While woolly aphids generally have two hosts, many species can sustain themselves on their secondary host alone.”
How do you kill this bug?
Females can also have wings. In fact, the females are the most likely to have wings.