Blackfly Aphids...

[Chipchopper]

thousands of them!
I noticed these on my Buddlieia shrub this morning, like never before!
I gave them a good blast with a jet from the garden hoze and hopefully that'l be the end of them.
Anybody else getting these this year, in the garden and how do you deal with them ?

[woofgang]

I do as little as possible apart from encourage birds and aphid eating insects. If I really need to do something I spray with very dilute washing up liquid.

[tamborine]

Lady bird fodder! Leave em be!

[Chipchopper]

So far the simulated rain-storm method has worked well, I checked the stems again this evening and only a small amount had regrouped,so I'll keep an eye on them.
A few of the stems which had been infected with a virus (spread by the aphids) have also been removed.
The aphids are still available to the birds and bugs if they want them, only difference is they're no longer on my buddleia.
I've used this method before but its the first time I've seen this many aphids in one place.

[alavahalf]

Only this morning I was talking to a fellow allotment holder about black fly.
He maintains that Rhubarb Juice is what he has always used, and it works for him. Never having heard of it I got home and googled it. It's free and is a lot cheaper than Provado .. I paid £10 for a bottle last week end.

He says he just tears the leaves up and puts them in a bucket covered in water for a few days. Pours it through a sieve and then sprays it on everything.

When I Googled it I found the method shown below ..

Spray rhubarb spray
- the oxalic acid in rhubarb leaves can help to control aphids, particularly on roses.
Cut 450g (1lb) rhubarb leaves, place in an old saucepan (the oxalic acid may damage one that you still use) with 1.1 litres (2pt) water and boil for half an hour, topping up as necessary. When cool, add 1 dessertspoon of soap flakes dissolved in 275ml (1/2pt) warm water. This acts as the wetting agent when added to the strained rhubarb liquid. Stir the mixture thoroughly and use undiluted as a spray. Rhubarb leaves are quite toxic so be careful to keep this away from children and pets.

[melv16]

I think i'll give the blackfly the rhubarb treatment. I always get them on my broad beans & spraying is preferable to squishing the little B's.

[lilacben]

I was only saying the other day howmany black fly we have on our plants... roses mostly and a bush is covered in them. Back at the beginning of spring I mentioned on here how many ladybirds I had in my garden..and now there are non.? very strange.!

[Maydup]

I had the exact same blackfly infestation on my new Elderberry sapling. I jet sprayed the whole thing and hope for the best. It was close to my runner bean wigwan, so I worked hard to drown all the little wotsits as I couldn't stand it if the hoped over!

[Chipchopper]

Good luck with the rhubarb tea, guys hope it works!
Luckily I can get a high pressure hoze close enough to my buddleia and get right under the leaves, where they mostly hide.
So I'll be sticking to plain old water for now, plus maybe a little help from our feathered friends etc...

[alavahalf]

Further to previous info .. I sprayed everything on my allotment last week with Provado concentrate and after 3 days the black fly activity has come to a halt.
Knowing it will need to be done again in a few weeks, I have made some Rhubarb Juice to try for myself.