·         Inspect your plants every day! One little aphid can produce 80 in a week! Be sure to check the underside of leaves as well as the buds.

·         Spraying them off with water is a good way to knock them off your plants. You can use a hose attachment called the “Bug Blaster”.

·         Don’t use too much fertilizer aphids love all the new growth. Use slow release fertilizer.

·        Prune away the colonies when you see plants that are covered with aphids. Make sure you dispose the clippings away from your garden.

Home remedies for aphids.

Use dish soap and water.  Spray the leaves with a solution of 2 teaspoons of dish soap and a spray bottle of lukewarm water. Make sure to spray the underside of the leaves.

You can also add some vegetable oil to the mixture; 3 parts water, one part oil and a few drops of dish soap, this will clog the respiratory spiracles of aphids. Spray once a week, taking turns with the solutions.  Don’t spray on hot sunny days as the oil can magnify the sun and damage the leaves.