My plants have become infested with what I believe are aphids. They leave a sticky residue on my plants. Pumpkins, watermelon and melons.
What can I do to get rid of them. My pumpkins seem to be dieing turning yellow.

Please help.
Thank you in advance
Cendy

You can just hose them off with a thorough spray, not enough to tear the leaves but firm enough to wash off the bugs. Be sure to get the undersides of the leaves and the stems as well.

Do this a few times in the next week or two, so that you're sure to get the next generations. It will help to wash off the stick residue, as well.

I'd give the plants a shot of extra fertilizer once you get the infestation under control, as well. Maybe half strength of some soluble fertilizer will give them an immediate boost but not burn them while they are still stressed.

I've had a hard time hitting the underside of the leaves enough with the spray, but I've released ladybugs and green lacewings with success. Or some neem oil spray. I've heard you can spray them with soapy water too.

If you do use soap or neem oil, be sure to rinse the plants off before the sun hits them, as either can make the leaves photosensitive. Plants with thin leaves like your melons and pumpkins are especially susceptible.

I've never heard that before. Interesting. I've always been told to just spray them as soon as the sun goes down so they have all night before the sun comes up again. I don't have melons or pumpkins though, so maybe that makes a difference. The closest is the zucchini and the cucumbers.

Thank you for all your feed back. Has anyone heard of dusting the plants with diatomaceous earth?

I use DE indoors but try not to use it outside except around my doorways to keep out ants. It's great, but will kill a lot of beneficials as well as your aphids if you dust it indiscriminately out in the garden.

What Elaine said. I was tempted to use it for ants at one point but the risk vs reward was too great for me in that instance.