Topic: Green Flies

[David P]

Hello all

I have a few strawberries and gooseberries in my back garden.... and aphids  / green fly have started to descend on them.... Is there anything that I can do and not harm the environment???

Many thanks

Dave

[davyw1]

you could try 1 teaspoon of Fairy Liquid to 2 litres of water and spray all over and under the plants

[macmac]

you could try 1 teaspoon of Fairy Liquid to 2 litres of water and spray all over and under the plants

I.ve heard the lemon one is best 

[cestrian]

Prevention is better than cure - I chop up 1 clove of garlic and juice and zest 1 lemon and leave it all to soak in a litre of water over night. Then strain it off and add 1 squirt of washing up liquid (non-bio stuff). I spray this mix once a week on my toms and it seems to deter the greenfly and whitefly.

If youve already got them infested though, squidge as many as you can by hand and repeat sprays of washin up liquid every other day.

[Obelixx]

The trouble is that the soapy spray also does for beneficial insects and predators who will eat your aphids as well as bees which pollinate your plants.   

I never spray anything in my garden but I do have plenty of bird feeders and find the birds will hoover up the insects to feed to their young.  In time, ladybirds and hoverflies will come along and scoff aphids in their hundreds as well as caterpillars on brassicas.

If I do see a plant in trouble, I squish with my fingers or use the hose pipe to spray them off. until the predators arrive.

If you must spray with chemicals of any sort, do it late evening when it will have least effect on the good guys.

[laurieuk]

you could try 1 teaspoon of Fairy Liquid to 2 litres of water and spray all over and under the plants

I.ve heard the lemon one is best 

You want them to smell nice as well as be clean.