Getting rid of aphids without the use of harmful chemicals and pesticides can be quite the challenge. However, there are a few home remedies and DIY approaches you can take to get rid of aphids and one of those is through the use of essential oils. So do aphids hate peppermint oil or not?
Aphids hate peppermint, which is why it is an effective way to keep them away from your garden.
Many gardeners use peppermint in their gardens to protect their plants from aphid infestations. Peppermint not only keeps aphids away but also works to deter other pesky insects and pests, in general.
What Other Essential Oils Kill Aphids?
You can use peppermint essential oil to kill aphids. However, if, for some reason, you do not have access to it, you can use other essential oils to kill aphids too.
Essential oils are quite strong, and therefore very effective if used in their true form. Therefore, instead of opting for chemicals to kill aphids, many people resort to essential oil.
Some of the best essential oils you can use to kill aphids include:
- Lavender oil
- Oregano oil
- Fennel oil
- Clove oil
- Coriander oil
- Juniper oil
This list is not exhaustive, however.
How to Use Essential Oil to Kill Aphids
The best way to use essential oils to kill aphids is to make a spray from them. You can make your at-home insect-killer using essential oils by mixing them with water.
It is best to use at least four to five drops of essential oils in one litre of water.
You can put this mix in a spray bottle and continue to spray the infested plant evenly. However, before spraying your plant, you must hose down the aphids already on the plants. By washing away the aphids, you will have less of them to deal with, and it will be easier for you to spray the problem areas of your plant.
Next, you should spray the plant properly with your essential oil mixture. It is important to be thorough while you spray because aphids are small insects that easily hide underneath the leaves.
It’s also worth remembering that doing the essential oil treatment once is not enough; you must repeat it at least twice a week or whenever you notice aphids in your garden.
Will Essential Oils Kill Aphid Eggs?
Aphids lay eggs on the underside of leaves, which is why you need to ensure you don’t just douse the top of the plant but also the underside and even the soil around it.
You can use your essential oil mixture to kill aphid eggs by spraying it on them – It’s as simple as that!
The essential oil in the mixture will cover the aphid eggs and suffocate them. Therefore, the eggs will not hatch, and as a result, a new generation of aphids will not be born.
As aphids reproduce rapidly, killing their eggs would be the first step in ensuring an end to their infestation. You need to put a fire breaker into their life cycle.
Do Essential Oils Affect Root Aphids?
There are different kinds of aphids in gardens, and one of them is root aphids. These aphids are found underneath the soil, and while the symptoms are the same, it can be tricky to get rid of them.
You can use your essential oil mixture to remove root aphids by spraying the soil underneath the infested plant. It is important to soak the plant’s soil so the mixture reaches the root aphids and their eggs under the soil.
What Are the Benefits of Using Essential Oils?
Using essential oils comes with a lot of benefits as opposed to using chemicals. A great thing about using essential oils is that they are natural and will cause no harm to plants or humans.
Most people cannot tolerate the smell of pesticides and can even get allergic reactions from them. Therefore, a great way to deter aphids and get rid of them is essential oils.
Moreover, essential oils will not cause harm to the environment or the soil. These oils are readily available in different scents, and you can use whichever you think is best.
What Other Natural Methods Keep Aphids Away?
Other than essential oils, there are other organic methods you can use to keep aphids away. For example, if the aphid infestation in your garden is new, you can physically remove them. You can remove the aphids in your garden by wearing gloves, removing them with your hands, and discarding them in the bin.
If you do not wish to remove aphids physically, you can wash them away with a high-pressure water hose. Sometimes, if the aphid infestation is small, a quick water wash is enough to get rid of them.
Perhaps a great way to keep aphids away and get rid of them is simple soap and water. You can mix soap with water and spray it on the aphids. The soap suffocates the aphids and even other insects, which are harmful to gardens.
Summary
Keeping an organic garden can be a bit of a hassle as you need to keep it insect-free. However, pesticides and harsh chemicals are not an option if you wish to go all-organic.
Therefore, gardeners prefer to choose natural ways to get rid of aphids and other harmful insects. One such way is to use peppermint. Peppermint in the form of essential oil is a great way to keep aphids away.
In addition, the essential oil also works on aphid eggs which are found under plant leaves.
You can also use other kinds of essential oils such as oregano and lavender.
It is best to hose down the plants to wash away the existing aphids, so it is easy to deal with. Next, you can mix four to five drops of essential oil and make a spray. You must be thorough when spraying and spray evenly to get the eggs and other aphids that may be hiding.
You can also soak the soil underneath the infested plant to get to root aphids.
