| Archive for countrytalkandtips.myfreeforum.org ........................ smallholding, crafts and country life ................................................... IN IRELAND ....................................................... |
| Camile |
Green tiny insects in the tunnel ..Hello,I was wonderring if anyone could help me out ... I have hundreds of little green beasties, mostly on the lettuces in the tunnel ... there isn't much harm done to the plants ... but some are infested by them ... anything I could do or introduce in the tunnels to help that ? is there any supplier of biological controls in Ireland ? like we saw on River cottage with the aphids ... maybe those beasties are some ... Thanks, Camile |
| blowin |
Sounds like they are aphids AKA "Greenfly" . There is also a black type which is called Blackfly , strangely enough .
I don't know whether this will work but here is a link to a pic on google images . http://images.google.ie/imgres?im...2%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG If I am correct then yours will be similar but probably not identical . Very common . Not a major problem in small numbers but they suck the sap from soft plants , which can die off quite quickly . They also excrete a sticky substance which sticks to and discolours the leaves below . Natural predators include ladybird , and hoverfly ( I think ) . Any ants you see around the aphids are not eating them they are milking them ( for that sugary stuff ) . I just squash them if they are on stems but do resort to spraying on leafy veg ( and roses ! ) . There are plenty of sprays available from the garden centres . I think you can make an organic one from rhubarb leaves but I could be wrong . Some people will tell you to hose them off but most of them will climb back up so I wouldn't bother with that if I were you !  
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| Camile |
Good evening,
Here is what I found so far to help attract/control the insects in the tunnel .. I have some nasturitums, french marigold, pyrethrum, fever few, geraniums, petunia, and sunflowers ... I had most of them in the tunnel, except french marigold, pyrethrum, and feverfew, but found this list today: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companion_plants and they all confirm that they attract/control aphids ... Happy days Camile |
| chook |
I agree with Camile, companion plants is the way to go.
I found Nasturtiums most effective and always keep a number of them growing in the tunnel; only planted them once years ago, they self-seed and always come back. I also find it useful not to be overtidy in the tunnel and don't clean it out until Spring in order to keep plenty hiding places for Ladybird larvae and other beneficials like slug-eating beetles (can't remember the name -they are sort of coppery brown). Predatory wasps are another good beneficial to attract; that's what flowering Umbellifers are good for such as seed fennel or even a carrot or parsnip stuck in the ground and left to grow. HTH chook |