Date: Wed, 5 Mar 1997 09:21:14 -0500 (EST) From: PTemple001@aol.com To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg813$foo@default> Subject: Re: Exterminating aphid problems
>I have recently had a bit of an aphid problem (especially on the sundews).
> ..... and what do other people use against aphids ?
For small infestations I just use the proprietary cones that you burn. They
seem to be fine with all CP's.
For major infestations, these are rare but occassionally a weak plant might
get attacked this way and it's soon smothered. In this case I find cones
ineffective. Instead, I use a can of household or garden insecticide spray.
I spray it either vertically upward or horizontally accross. I use pure
subjectivity to guess the duration of the spray. But all that's needed is a
short burst, maybe 1 second if your aim is accurate (see below), but I've
never sprayed for more than 3 seconds. The resultant very fine mist of
insecticide falls vertically down, like very fine rain, onto the affected
plant. So the plant gets a thorough misting but is not blasted to death by a
high speed jet of poison! If the infestation is mostly killed off the plant
seems not to mind the odd remaining egg which it presumably deals with when
it hatches! The people I've described this too are generally surprised and
dubious but so far, everyone who tried it called me back to say it worked.
By the way, for severe infestations on Sarracenia (very rare I find), you can
spray directly at the plant and then wash it immediately by immersion in
water. Do this about twice a week for three weeks and you'll have no Aphid
eggs left. I'd avoid direct spray onto Heliamphora and stick to the misting
method. Cephalotus should accept direct spray but I'd definately wash it
afterwoods, though I've never seen aphids on Cephalotus.
If you have a very rare specimen plant, if you know another method that works
very quickly then try it first as this is about as extreme as you can get.
But remember, any method that takes time to kill the pests increases the
risk of damaging your plant beyond saving, certainly a risk to Pings and
Drosera, not so much for Sarraceniaceae and Nepenthes. If you need to kill
the pests instantly, try my method.
Regards
Paul
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