How do I get rid of ants and aphids in my artichokes?
by Dot
+7
My artichokes are so full of aphids and ants that they are not fit to eat. I'm think that ants probably bring the aphids there and tuck them between the artichoke leaves, so the solution might be to get rid of the ants. I have heard that other people have this problem with ants in the artichokes, too.
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Hand crush them, spray them off with water and/or apply a narrow-range oil spray. (Look for oil sprays based on plant oils such as soy, canola or jojoba in preference to petroleum oils.) Then examine artichoke leaf undersides and young buds, and if you see the aphids, treat them there as well. I know this sounds weird and not a quick way to do...but, in general this works
Apply food grade diatomaceous earth and spray the plants making sure everything is covered with horticultural oil.Re-peat applications as necessary.
I would spray with a dish soap solution. You can find the one I use here - http://www.hometalk.com/diy/outdoor/pest-repeller/save-your-garden-sprays-28593963, good luck.
Save Your Garden Sprays
Thank you, Janet.
Thank you Deb.
I soak my tobacco leaves in water and spray it with that. Nicotine is a natural insecticide and it works great. The Aphids were there first by the way, the ants are attracted to them because they feed off of a sugary substance produced by the aphids. Ants will herd aphids, but there wouldn't be any ants there unless aphids were already present.
This product might help - https://amzn.to/46BlnNE
Google "Companion Plants for artichokes", you will learn what to grow with your artichokes to repel pests. It really works, I have used this natural system successfully for years.
Get some ladybugs. They love aphids!
In the kitchen, you can occasionally get rid of bugs by stirring the cut buds in salty water with the stem end down. When mature buds become infected, remove them from the plant so that they won't act as aphid reservoirs for fresh buds to become infected.