For the past couple of years in the spring/summer my succulents have had problems with aphids - with the mini greenhouse going from no sign of them, to suddenly having a plant covered in them. Last year I treat infected plants with soapy water but just wondering where they keep suddenly coming from (I haven't added any plants to the greenhouse) and how to prevent these population explosions?

Do you see ant traffic?

Baja_Costero said:Do you see ant traffic?

Thank you for your reply. No there aren't any ants.

From my experience you can't keep them totally out of your little greenhouse. I can't keep them out of my larger one! Spraying them off with water helps. Products like the Safer Soap work, but the aphids always survive and return. I've just ended up not worrying too much about them. They don't seem to damage the plants. It's more that it's unsightly! I bought ladybugs one year and they did a great job for a few days. Then they moved on and I only see a few of them now.

plantmanager said:From my experience you can't keep them totally out of your little greenhouse. I can't keep them out of my larger one! Spraying them off with water helps. Products like the Safer Soap work, but the aphids always survive and return. I've just ended up not worrying too much about them. They don't seem to damage the plants. It's more that it's unsightly! I bought ladybugs one year and they did a great job for a few days. Then they moved on and I only see a few of them now.

Thank you for your reply. Yes - they don't seem to be causing much damage to the plants, just as you say unsightly - just worried I'll give someone one of my extra plants that looks healthy then it suddenly explodes with aphids. I've only seen one ladybird so far this year so it seems to have given the aphid population free rein. Is it worth periodically spraying plants with Safer Soap or homemade soap solution or more likely just to damage the plants?

I have sudden aphids infestations in my greenhouse too. They aren't there one day and then a single plant out of the whole bunch has millions of aphids. I don't know where they come from. According to a nurseryman I asked one time, its because I have roses all the way around my greenhouse and roses attract aphids. My greenhouse is surrounded by gravel...

I use Safer's Insecticidal Soap - It does kill them but, the spray has to actually hit the bugs to work. Its an every day for a week project and then they're gone again.... until next time.

DaisyI said:I have sudden aphids infestations in my greenhouse too. They aren't there one day and then a single plant out of the whole bunch has millions of aphids. I don't know where they come from. According to a nurseryman I asked one time, its because I have roses all the way around my greenhouse and roses attract aphids. My greenhouse is surrounded by gravel...

I use Safer's Insecticidal Soap - It does kill them but, the spray has to actually hit the bugs to work. Its an every day for a week project and then they're gone again.... until next time.

Thank you for your reply. Sounds very similar - the 2 affected plants were fine when I last looked at them a few days ago so it was a shock to see them covered in aphids today. The 2 plants were originally potted together, I separated them a couple months ago - does that mean they've been infected all this time but the aphids have just suddenly emerged?

My mini greenhouses are surrounded by paving. There is a particular pond plant about 2m away (and surrounded by water and paving) that seems to be very popular with aphids at this time of year and the appearance of aphids on this plant has coincided with their appearance in the greenhouse - perhaps that could be encouraging them?

A Q-tip soaked with alcohol can help remove/kill them, generally, but I haven't tried that on fuzzy plants.