What best controls aphids?

Proper cultivation procedures and schedules of environmentally-friendly treatments are the best ways to eliminate aphids.

Specifically, aphids attack plants that are stressed, such as by drought. Plants generally can be watered whenever there has been no rain or snow fall event within the previous 7 - 10 days. They cooperate with regular monitoring which will mean early detection and treatments before problems become serious and warrant either plant removal or severe procedures (such as resorting to malathion). Environmentally-friendly controls include:

• Beneficial insects (lacewings, ladybugs, parasitic wasps, praying mantids);

• Botanicals, horticultural oils (against eggs), and insecticidal soaps (against adults);

• Native plants (cardinal flowers, coneflowers, Joy Pye weed).