How do I control aphids?

A home full of houseplants, who wouldn't want that? Green houseplants give your home a tropical feel and do wonders for your mood, but there are a few risks to bear in mind when you bring a houseplant into your home. You may run into a pest or a plant disease. That can land your houseplant in trouble and make it struggle to survive. When you know your plant diseases and pests, you can act quickly the moment something like this crops up.

Anyone with large houseplants at home has no doubt heard of aphids and the risks these little creatures bring with them. Unlike spider mites, aphids are easy to spot with the naked eye. That means you notice them sooner and can step in straight away when you find them.

What exactly are aphids?

An aphid is an insect that feeds on the cells of a houseplant. Aphids are usually green, but there are also species that are white, black, yellow, red or purple. Aphids are a common problem on houseplants. Luckily they are fairly easy to get rid of. You can see them with the naked eye, so you quickly know what you are dealing with. There's no need to panic when you find aphids. The odds are very good that you can fix this easily and that your houseplant will go on for years afterwards.

Can you prevent aphids?

Prevention is always better than cure, but how do you prevent an aphid infestation? There are several ways to reduce the chance of aphids.

Cold water

Rinse your houseplant with cold water. This doesn't harm your houseplant, but it does wash the aphids away. You can do this outdoors with a watering can, or simply under the shower.

Plant mister

There are several home remedies you can use against aphids with a plant mister.

Water with washing-up liquid.
Water with methylated spirits and soft soap.
Boil a pan of onions and garlic and leave it to stand for a day. Strain the water into a plant mister and spray it onto the houseplant with aphids.

Garlic

Another handy way to prevent aphids is to push garlic cloves into the soil. It may sound odd, but this tip keeps aphids away from your houseplant. This method is particularly suitable for houseplants.

Matches

Push matches head-down into the potting soil. In a small pot, 1 match is enough, but in larger pots you push 1 match into the soil every 10-15 cm. Replace them every 1-2 months, because the sulphur from the matches dissolves in the water.

What causes aphids?

Aphids love almost every houseplant. What's really important to know is that weaker houseplants fall victim sooner than healthy ones. So make sure you look after your houseplants properly and give them enough water and plant food.

Damage to your houseplant

Aphids look harmless, but they can do quite a lot of damage if you let them have free rein. Aphids bite their way through to the veins of a houseplant, and those veins carry the nutrients. Once the veins of your green friend are exposed, the chance of a virus is much higher. That's how aphids infect your houseplant: by pushing saliva into the plant's cells. A houseplant infected with a virus will weaken considerably.

The substance aphids excrete is called honeydew. This liquid is similar to nectar and serves as food for other insects, which is reason enough on its own to prevent it. Aphids leave honeydew behind on the leaves of your houseplant, and mould can grow in it. In general, aphids aren't an immediate cause for concern, but if you do nothing about them, your houseplant will eventually die from a lack of nutrients.

How do you treat aphids?

Once you've found aphids on your houseplant, you naturally want to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Aphids bring plenty of risks with them and can leave your houseplant infected with a virus. Prevention is always better than cure, but if it's already too late, there are several things you can do to get rid of them.

You can choose to reach for a pesticide straight away. That's your call of course, but there are also several natural ways to control aphids. Aphids hate the cold. At low temperatures their eggs can't hatch either!

You can rinse aphids away very easily with cold water. Put your plants under the shower or take them outdoors and spray them with the garden hose. Aim carefully at the leaves, as that's where aphids like to hide. Bear in mind that the aphids can jump across to another houseplant, so always make sure there are no other houseplants nearby when you do this.
A mixture of water and methylated spirits also works wonders. Spray the houseplants with aphids with a mixture of half water and half methylated spirits. The aphids will soon disappear.
The most common and obvious way to control aphids is a plant mister filled with water and washing-up liquid. Do pay attention to which washing-up liquid you use. A non-biodegradable one can harm your houseplant. To avoid damaging your houseplant, choose a biodegradable washing-up liquid for this method. You'll need to repeat it several times before you see results.
Tried the tips above and none of them worked against the aphids? There are also several products you can buy that help control aphids.