Help big problem w/ Aphids and ants

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RichnSteph said:
Any idea if Neem oil is ok to use in a system that contains fish? (Aquaponics). I've gotten a recent and rather massive mess of aphids and fire ants living in my grow beds.
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I wouldn't use it with fish... Itvis mildly toxic to them, and I would be concerned about suffocation from the fatty acids in it; ie, the oil...


Edit* further thought.... Maybe beneficial nematodes would be a better option.... Fire ants in aquaponics; I'm not envisioning how that happened! :(
 
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shortgrass said:
I wouldn't use it with fish... Itvis mildly toxic to them, and I would be concerned about suffocation from the fatty acids in it; ie, the oil...


Edit* further thought.... Maybe beneficial nematodes would be a better option.... Fire ants in aquaponics; I'm not envisioning how that happened!
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The fire ants are "farming" the aphids and have killed off the lady bugs that were in there feasting on them. Fire ants are crazy farmers.
barnie.gif
 
RichnSteph said:
The fire ants are "farming" the aphids and have killed off the lady bugs that were in there feasting on them. Fire ants are crazy farmers.:barnie
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Those stinkers! Maybe a couple of mantids would munch them up... I had to ask the DH about ants lol; red ants are horrible to get rid of! I'm usually 100% organic, but even hecsays it might have to be chemical... I wouldn't want to use anything that would potentially get in the water... Aside from coating the leaves with Neem oil..;there's a product called "Einstein oil"... It has the Neem in it too..like a leaf polish... The truck would be getting the aphids to eat the leaves containing the Neem, then thexants will farm the nectar, getting the Neem that way...

I thought about trying to find the nest and just dumping some down in there, but they have to ingest it for it to work...

I wonder if there isn't something on the market for ants like our grasshopper bait; it has a pathogen in it specifically for hoppers; makes them "sick" without affecting anything else.

Is this around a pond outside? You don't happen to live where it might freeze for winter? THAT would help lol ;)
 
shortgrass said:
Those stinkers! Maybe a couple of mantids would munch them up... I had to ask the DH about ants lol; red ants are horrible to get rid of! I'm usually 100% organic, but even hecsays it might have to be chemical... I wouldn't want to use anything that would potentially get in the water... Aside from coating the leaves with Neem oil..;there's a product called "Einstein oil"... It has the Neem in it too..like a leaf polish... The truck would be getting the aphids to eat the leaves containing the Neem, then thexants will farm the nectar, getting the Neem that way...

I thought about trying to find the nest and just dumping some down in there, but they have to ingest it for it to work...

I wonder if there isn't something on the market for ants like our grasshopper bait; it has a pathogen in it specifically for hoppers; makes them "sick" without affecting anything else.

Is this around a pond outside? You don't happen to live where it might freeze for winter? THAT would help lol
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Yes the pond is outside and although it does freeze a little down here we're putting hoop houses over the grow beds so I can grow green leafy veggies through the winter. At least that's the plan. As far as Mantids go we haven't seen any but I'd bet that our chickens would end up eating them before they'd do any good.
 
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Hello there, I will sometimes release lady bugs on the property. Some stay, some don't. (actually, most don't). Anyways, IMO the best way to control the aphids and stuff it by using neem oil. Buy the concentrate and mix it with water in one of those sprayers. (I have a sprayer that is dedicated to ONLY garden use) I don't want whatever strange things my dad uses in it anywhere near my garden no matter how many times it has been rinsed out. Anyways, that neem oil is good for a lot of things, generally I have to use it for powdery mildew and it takes care of a lot of pests in the process. it doesn't take but a few minutes to treat the entire garden every couple of days. It kind of reminds me of Raleigh salve for plants. Anybody else know what i'm talking about? gramma always used to keep a can beside her bed and would say "cut, burn, rash, infection, pimple, cyst, whatever be your ailment, Raleigh will fix it right up. Just make sure you use a clean finger to dip in the tin". Anyways, i'm probably talking to myself and nobody cares/knows what i'm talking about.

Basically, my recommendation is neem oil. Good luck!
 
drewskimac said:
Hello there, I will sometimes release lady bugs on the property. Some stay, some don't. (actually, most don't). Anyways, IMO the best way to control the aphids and stuff it by using neem oil. Buy the concentrate and mix it with water in one of those sprayers. (I have a sprayer that is dedicated to ONLY garden use) I don't want whatever strange things my dad uses in it anywhere near my garden no matter how many times it has been rinsed out. Anyways, that neem oil is good for a lot of things, generally I have to use it for powdery mildew and it takes care of a lot of pests in the process. it doesn't take but a few minutes to treat the entire garden every couple of days. It kind of reminds me of Raleigh salve for plants. Anybody else know what i'm talking about? gramma always used to keep a can beside her bed and would say "cut, burn, rash, infection, pimple, cyst, whatever be your ailment, Raleigh will fix it right up. Just make sure you use a clean finger to dip in the tin". Anyways, i'm probably talking to myself and nobody cares/knows what i'm talking about.

Basically, my recommendation is neem oil. Good luck!
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NO NO NO NO.... I am interested in the Raleigh potion.. TELL US MORE ABOUT IT.
caf.gif
 
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