If you don’t want to use chemicals, then follow these 25 Natural Ways to Kill Aphids. A much cleaner and safer approach to combat these pests!
If you are tired of pests attacking your favorite plants then follow these Natural Ways to Kill Aphids and get rid of them in no time!
Check out our article on how to get rid of flies here
Natural Ways to Kill Aphids
1. Grow Aphid Repellent Plants
Grow flowers like marigolds, nasturtiums, and sunflowers in your garden to get rid of the pest naturally. To repel aphids, plant herbs like catmint, lavender, turmeric, ginger, and oregano. Vegetables that aphids don’t like are onion and garlic.
Another way to get rid of aphids is to grow the plants that repel them between the rows of your vegetable patches, garden beds, and ornamental plants that are particularly loved by aphids like eggplants.
2. Use Liquid Dish Soap
Mix 2 to 4 teaspoons of liquid soap in a gallon of water and fill the solution in a spray bottle. Use it on the infected plant, especially the undersides of foliage.
3. Make a Garlic Spray
Garlic has a pungent smell that aphids hate – you can take advantage of this weakness by making a garlic aphid killer spray. Add 100 gms of crushed garlic cloves to 1 gallon of water and allow it to sit for 24 hours. The next day, boil it for 20 minutes for decoction. Allow it to cool and fill the liquid in the sprayer for use.
4. Prepare Vinegar Solution
Vinegar contains acetic acid that acts as a natural pesticide and burns aphids. Mix white vinegar with water in 1:3 proportion.
Fill this solution in a mister bottle and use it on the parts of the plants affected by aphids; before doing that, if you like, do a patch test first! Repeat the process after one week to remove any remaining pests.
5. Prepare a Dandelion Infusion
There are many medicinal properties in the plant that makes dandelion useful, one of those properties is it can kill aphids. Take 400 gms (0.8 pounds) of dandelion leaves, add 2 liters of water, and allow it to sit for a day. Fill this solution in a spray bottle and use it on affected plants.
6. Use Neem Oil
To kill aphids, neem oil is the safest and most powerful solution that you can use. You can soak a cotton ball in neem oil and apply it on them, or much better if you make a spray recipe. A step-by-step recipe and other amazing Neem oil uses in the garden are listed here.
7. Make a Mix of Pepper and Dawn Dish Soap
Add 3-5 teaspoons of pepper and 1 teaspoon of dawn dish soap in a gallon of water and spray it on the affected parts of the plant to get rid of aphids. Repeat the process if needed.
8. Use Wood Ash
All you have to do is sprinkle a handful of wood ash on the affected area of the plants. The ash will dehydrate and suffocate aphids in no time! Before the arrival of pesticides, this was one of the ways to control aphids.
Have a look at some amazing uses of wood ash in the garden here
Note: Always test them on a small portion of a leaf and wait for a day to see the result before using them on the entire plant.
9. Use an Onion Solution
Chop 100 grams of onions and mix them in a gallon of water. Cook it for 30 minutes. Use it without diluting in water. Make sure to cool the solution down to room temperature before applying. Use it within the same day.
10. Strong Jet of Water
A strong stream of water on the infected plants can wash off the aphids. This is also a good idea to get rid of them organically.
11. Apply Diatomaceous Earth
Dust the affected plant with diatomaceous earth. The aphids will fall off and die in approx 12-24 hours.
12. Invite Birds
Grow a mat of shrubs, make a birdhouse, set a birdfeeder, and a cute birdbath to invite bug-eating birds into your garden. Chickadees, wrens, and titmice enjoy eating bugs like aphids.
13. Use Essential Oils
Another organic way to get rid of aphids is essential oils. While they may not kill aphids but will keep them at bay. Peppermint and Lavender oil are good for this purpose. You can also mix them in your spray recipes.
14. Handpick Aphids
You can also remove aphids by hand if there is not much in numbers. Crush them with your giant fingers; if you don’t like this, wear gloves as they’re sticky.
15. Invite Predatory Insects
Encourage beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings, praying mantis, and hoverflies in your garden.
16. Control Ant Population
If you want to get rid of aphids, control ants first as they work together as a team in gardens. Aphids secrete honeydew, which is a favorite dessert for ants, and to ensure they get a steady supply of it, they protect aphids by forming a colony around them.
We have a great article on controlling ants here
17. Use Leftover Wine
Soak a cotton ball in leftover wine and pat it on aphids. It works best on the small infestations on houseplants. Use it once a week till the infestation disappears.
18. Use Rubbing Alcohol
Prepare a solution of rubbing alcohol and water in a ratio of 1:8, and do a patch test first on a small leaf. Spray the plant, leave it on for 15-20 minutes, and rinse with water. If required, repeat after a week.
19. Attract them With a Trap Crop
You can also grow plants that attract aphids to keep them busy, so they won’t harm your valuable plants. It is a way of controlling the aphid population while maintaining the presence of predatory insects near the garden.
Choose an area far enough from the plants you mean to protect from aphids, and then grow some bait crops like cosmos, dahlias, zinnias, and asters. These will attract aphids, and then you can kill them with the help of one of the ways listed here.
20. Make a Suffocating Solution
Make a solution by combining 2 cups of vegetable oil and half a cup of soap and shake well. Remember, this solution is for spraying on aphids directly; if you want to spray it on leaves, dilute it in 5 to 10 liters of water. Once you spray this solution onto the aphids, it suffocates them and they eventually die.
21. Use Lime and Sulfur Liquid Concentrate
Using these two corrosive elements is a great option to control the population of aphids. Sulfur has an anti-fungal property and when it is combined with lime in equal proportion, it becomes an effective pest killer.
Apply only to the aphids when you spot them. Do refer to the label for instruction. Also, use gloves and a mask to be on the safer side while using them.
You can also use just lime water to repel them–it works!
22. Kill with Baking Soda
Use baking soda to not only get rid of aphids but also mites and whiteflies. Make a solution at home by adding 1/3 teaspoon of baking soda to 500ml of warm water. Also, add half a teaspoon of vegetable oil and mix well. You can also add 7-8 drops of liquid soap to make the solution even more effective.
Simply spray it on aphids and watch them die!
23. Use Milk
The use of milk in the garden is the most effective way to control the population of powdery mildew and aphid. A study proves that it can reduce their infestation by almost 30-40%.
Dilute milk with water in a 1:1 ratio and spray where you spot aphid infestation on plants.
24. Spray a Coca Cola Solution
Coca-cola and other carbonated drinks contain phosphoric acid, which is denoted as E338 or an acid stabilizer on the label. It works effectively against aphids by killing them.
Mix soda drink with water in a 1:1 ratio, transfer in a mister bottle, and spray evenly where you spot aphids.
25. Make an Anti-Aphid Spray Using Nettle
Stinging nettle can be used to make an anti-aphid spray. Don’t forget to wear gloves while picking its leaves as it causes stinging pain and itchiness.
Harvest 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of leaves and add 2 gallons of water. Let it sit for two to three weeks until it becomes clear brown. Use it to kill aphids by mixing 1 part of the solution in 7 parts of water and spraying it on plants. Store the remaining solution and use it within a month.
thank you very much for this detailed post shall plant onions to fight both aphids n fungal infections…
By the way a small pic of the herbs esply dandellion i gather grows as weed will mk the post very informative n handy pls
you can also use diatomacus earth
Thanks for that! I think diatomaceous earth is wonderful stuff. I was just wondering if it would work for aphids. I know it does for ants!
Thank you And I am about to action the above info but wondered if I plant marigolds with roses in pots will it upset the rose?
I have a lot of milkweed for the Monarch butterflies, and unfortunately every year they are loaded with aphids (and butterflies) – what will these treatments do to the butterflies? I want to get rid of the aphids, but not the butterflies!
Very interest
Such a detailed and practical guide on combating aphids naturally! I appreciate your emphasis on eco-friendly methods which clearly show your respect for nature’s balance. This post is certainly a great resource for gardeners aiming for healthier, aphid-free plants. I’m eager to try out these spray recipes. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!