Firstly, as this is my first post, I'd like to just say hi. So, here goes...Hi!
Now we've got that out the way, I have a problem with my roses. They appear to be infested with small brown flies. Loads of the little buggers. How harmful are they? How can I get rid of them? Can they harm the rest of the garden?
Any help greatfully received
Thanks
Hello Steady66,
What you have on your roses ia called Aphip. They love young leaf and they hide themselve beneath the leaf. These creatures have weak legs, and they suck the roses' young new growth to dry. The best way to get rid of them is to crush them by hand during cooler time of the day as they are immobilised at that time. If you choose a warmer time to do it, they are able to jump off and escape. Remember to wear a glove to avoid being hurt by the rose's thorn.
Another way in killing them is to give your roses a spray with water and a few drop of soap (biodegradable prefered). Remember to spray under the lef. The strong spray will knock the aphip out and that will kill them.
Hope it helps.
Amitié,
Pixi
What you have on your roses ia called Aphip. They love young leaf and they hide themselve beneath the leaf. These creatures have weak legs, and they suck the roses' young new growth to dry. The best way to get rid of them is to crush them by hand during cooler time of the day as they are immobilised at that time. If you choose a warmer time to do it, they are able to jump off and escape. Remember to wear a glove to avoid being hurt by the rose's thorn.
Another way in killing them is to give your roses a spray with water and a few drop of soap (biodegradable prefered). Remember to spray under the lef. The strong spray will knock the aphip out and that will kill them.
Hope it helps.
Amitié,
Pixi
Hello Ed,
There is another thing that I have to specify. If you happen to crash those monsters, make sure you don't litter their 'dead bodies' everywhere, but into a tray of water with a little soap. If you dirty the surrounding with their hormones, it will attracts more aphips and ants, and you will have no end in catching them.
Keep us posted with your progress and you are always welcome back here.
Amitié,
Pixi
There is another thing that I have to specify. If you happen to crash those monsters, make sure you don't litter their 'dead bodies' everywhere, but into a tray of water with a little soap. If you dirty the surrounding with their hormones, it will attracts more aphips and ants, and you will have no end in catching them.
Keep us posted with your progress and you are always welcome back here.
Amitié,
Pixi
Hello Steady66,
Personally, I use a detergent call "Savon Noir", a reduced soap that is thick and very sticky, to act as the soap agent. It is made of olive oil (bio degradable), and it gives a spear mint odour. They are commonly used as exfoliator to get rid of stains in pots and pans. You can try to find this soap in your hardware shop.
It works well for me, as it's heavy and sticky nature splash off the aphips, and it's odour deter these monsters from coming back to the roses for a period of 7-15days. If not, perhaps you can add a 2-3 teaspoons of cooking oil and 1 teaspoons of baking soda to the spray of 5 litre of water. However, make sure you do this in the evening, to avoid burning the leaf due to the oil content.
Amitié,
Pixi
Personally, I use a detergent call "Savon Noir", a reduced soap that is thick and very sticky, to act as the soap agent. It is made of olive oil (bio degradable), and it gives a spear mint odour. They are commonly used as exfoliator to get rid of stains in pots and pans. You can try to find this soap in your hardware shop.
It works well for me, as it's heavy and sticky nature splash off the aphips, and it's odour deter these monsters from coming back to the roses for a period of 7-15days. If not, perhaps you can add a 2-3 teaspoons of cooking oil and 1 teaspoons of baking soda to the spray of 5 litre of water. However, make sure you do this in the evening, to avoid burning the leaf due to the oil content.
Amitié,
Pixi