Re: CULT: aphid control - long

That wasn't too long a post Bill - thanks for the comments.  The
granular disulfoton product I bought was the only systemic in granular
form that I could find at my local supply.  I've only used about 2
teaspoons of the stuff, one or two grains per pot seemed to do the
trick.  But I will definitely look into imidacloprid as an alternative!

There were no warnings against using this product indoors.  The sun
porch where I've used it is closed off from the rest of the house, plus
I mixed it with soil in the pots and watered it in.

The directions warned against breathing the dust, skin and eye contact.
What are your concerns about using it indoors?  Nothing like bringing a
little weapon of mass destruction type nerve gas into the house!  :-(

<The disulfoton that is in the 2 in 1 fertilizer and insecticide
granular formulations is OK for outdoors, but I would NOT use it
inside..... there is a better and safer alternative now available that
will work for all aphids  and for mealybugs and whiteflies too. It is an
insecticide called imidacloprid and it can be found in a product called
"Bayer Advanced: Tree and Shrub Insect Control.">

I did a bit of checking on the outdoor aphid population this sunny warm
afternoon.

From what I could find, they are only present in the gravelly part of
the garden, not in the area with more clay (there are many other
variables of culture and amendments in the two sections of garden).  In
the gravel rows, nearly every full length, green, bent over leaf had a
colony of aphids, consisting of one (or occasionally more) large winged
adults, several medium sized wingless critters, and lots of itty bitty
ones.  They are all a reddish brown.  I will try to get a photo, if
anybody is interested.  Temperatures were in the low teens (12oF) a
couple of nights a few days ago, but barely down to freezing last night,
& warm and sunny during the day - over 60oF today, I think.
.
Thanks Patti and Kitty for the other ideas.  I have a portable air tank
and can recharge it with a car cigarette lighter powered compressor.
Plus have the plastic snow sled (all purpose garden tool - how did I
ever get by without it?) handy to drag it up and down the rows.  Might
be fun to use.

But with so many winged ones around, perhaps a non poison approach will
have limited success.  Squishing may work as well, and eliminates the
ones with wings too.

Bill (if you've waded thru all this) can you recommend winter predator
habitat creation?  If these aphids can be out flying around, surely
there are some predators out also.

--
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
East Tennessee Iris Society <http://www.korrnet.org/etis>
American Iris Society web site <http://www.irises.org>
talk archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/>
photos archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/>
online R&I <http://www.irisregister.com>

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