Is there a treatment for the aphid honeydew rain that turns black?
by
Reed
As I understand it, aphids love to suck the sap from hackberry tree leaves. When they urinate the sticky sap covers everything and subsequently grows black mold. This is a problem from August into October.
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https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/aphids-tree-disease.htm
Probably the best treatment is to get rid of the aphids. All it takes is a sprayer of some kind, a little dish detergent in some water. If you really want to make them sick, put some tobacco in a sock and put it in a bucket of water. Add a little tobacco juice to the sprayer with the soap. The book I got this recipe from said the tobacco juice makes them sick to their stomach and the soap gives them the runs so they are too busy going to the bug bathroom to chew on your plants. I used it in the garden on everything. It dried the aphids right up. I wouldn't use the tobacco juice on tomatoes, though.
I like this idea and will try it next year. FYI - I was amazed to find out that ALL aphids are born female AND pregnant ! I planted lavender around things that ants who carry aphids like to attack and it worked also. Tried the water spray and was not successful totally (had read that when the spray knocks aphids off the plants, they break their jaws when they land) thus no more sucking.