Bee friendly greenfly spray?

Hi all,

Roses have a bit of a greenfly problem. What is a bee friendly insecticide?

 

1. Just spray them off with a hose - that's the easiest method.
2. Use a handspray filled with water and add 3-4 drops of detergent, then shake and spray.

 

I just leave mine, usually within a few days the blue tits will hoover them up. Occasionally I might squish them with my fingers

 

I agree with the above … if it’s bad use a jet of water from the hose… if not too bad squish the worst with fingers and leave the rest for the bluetits, lacewings and hoverflies … plus the ladybird larvae of course.
I’ve not used insecticides for years and years … we rarely see more than a few greenfly on the roses or elsewhere.

 

Please leave them as they are because the tits, sparrows and finches will soon discover and enjoy them.

 

Thanks everyone! A small amount of washing up liquid for one spray application, then hammering with hose seems to work

Not a lot of birds sadly in my garden!

 

The birds will come if there’s food for them to eat … aphids are their food.

 

I wish some one will tell the birds down here

 

and trees where they can hang around.

 

Trees, shrubs, climbers on fences … everything helps …

 

Whereabouts are you up here @RoisinMcGuire ? If you're in a more remote spot, and/or at altitude, it makes it more difficult to get predators in for greenfly. Not the same range of birds either for helping, so that can be difficult.
I don't grow a lot of plants which are prone to aphids, but fortunately, I do have loads of blue tits here, so when the aphids appear, they don't usually last too long.
It can be a difficult balance sometimes, depending on what you're growing, and where you are

 

I'm using horticultural soap, which is potassium salts of fatty acids. You must buy the proper product. I also soak chilli flakes and garlic in a hot 1% solution to make a spray that will deter other pests like sawfly. In my greenhouse the ants are spreading the aphids so they can milk them, so I'm hoping the chilli/garlic combination will put them off too.
Completely harmless to bees and useful predators. Downside is that you must spray frequently.

 

Just pondering on an insect (Bee) friendly insect (aphid) killer

 

I keep my eye out for Ladybird larvae and collect them up and put them on the plaants that are infested with greenfly..they soon make short work of them.

 

I ordered ladybirds online from greengardener. I noticed a reduction in greenfly the following summer and there was something magical about ladybirds arriving in the post!