Pest control for flower farm - Ask Extension
Hello! I would like some guidance on how to deal with the pest pressure in my flower farm. I have aphids and thrips primarily, but also a ton of spi...
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Pest control for flower farm #870488
Asked May 28, 2024, 6:01 PM EDT
Hello! I would like some guidance on how to deal with the pest pressure in my flower farm. I have aphids and thrips primarily, but also a ton of spiders and spider mites as well as a beetle I've never seen before. This year the aphids have exploded throughout my garden and landscape. I am trying to avoid using strong pesticides and have been trying products like pesticidal soap, Neem oil, and organic detergent sprays to no avail. Should I use a chemical to knock down the population and then move toward these preventative sprays? My property is well maintained and has great soil as well as amendments like compost on a yearly basis. Any help you could give me would be much appreciated.
Marion County Oregon
Expert Response
Hello,
It has been relatively cool recently, which is good weather for aphids. Below is some general information about the management of aphids:
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7404.html
When using products such as insecticidal soaps, good coverage is essential. However, even with good coverage, they will usually recover very quickly and need a reapplication within a few days, so staying on top of management is important. You could also use sticky cards in the field for monitoring. I don't think it makes sense to use a broad spectrum product on the flowers, you will likely affect the beneficial insects as well. Do you have any flowers like dill, yarrow, buckwheat or alyssum? These can help attract natural enemies that will help to keep populations down. Often as it gets warmer less aphids will be seen, however your mites could become more problematic.
You may want to look at removing weeds, these can harbor pest insects. In addition, if the nitrogen levels of the plants are too high, this also can attract insect pests. You may want to look into your fertilizer regime.
Thank you for using Ask Extension!
It has been relatively cool recently, which is good weather for aphids. Below is some general information about the management of aphids:
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7404.html
When using products such as insecticidal soaps, good coverage is essential. However, even with good coverage, they will usually recover very quickly and need a reapplication within a few days, so staying on top of management is important. You could also use sticky cards in the field for monitoring. I don't think it makes sense to use a broad spectrum product on the flowers, you will likely affect the beneficial insects as well. Do you have any flowers like dill, yarrow, buckwheat or alyssum? These can help attract natural enemies that will help to keep populations down. Often as it gets warmer less aphids will be seen, however your mites could become more problematic.
You may want to look at removing weeds, these can harbor pest insects. In addition, if the nitrogen levels of the plants are too high, this also can attract insect pests. You may want to look into your fertilizer regime.
Thank you for using Ask Extension!
