Fighting aphids with Neem, Insecticidal Soap and Imidacloprid – what works best – organic or synthetic?
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Compare NEEM, Insecticidal Soap and Imidacloprid for aphids
List of Credits:
Images:
All slides and videos belong to GardenFundamentals.com or are public domain images, except for the following:
aphids green by Thomas Shahan: https://www.flickr.com/photos/opoterser/719296587
aphids on red stem by Ryan Hodnett:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aphids_%28Aphididae%29_-_Guelph,_Ontario_02.jpg
ladybug larvae eating aphid by Jean and Fred Hort:https://www.flickr.com/photos/jean_hort/17211799588
aphid closeup by GFDL :https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aphid-sap.jpg
ladybug eating aphid by John Flannery:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Goobye_Aphid_%2819267299506%29.jpg
ladybug eating gray aphids by :https://www.flickr.com/photos/blueridgekitties/49064179626
aphid giving birth by MedievalRich:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aphid-giving-birth.jpg
aphids on a rose by Anas A. Emad:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Several_rose_aphids_%28Macrosiphon_rosae%29_on_Rose.jpg
flying aphid by Amada44:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aphid_with_wings_8414.jpg
neem tree by Jimmy tikhak:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neem_seed.jpg
15 Comments
Thank you for sharing – that's precious information! Could you please share as well the name/brand of the synthetic product you used (of course if it's not against any rule…)
Joao (Lisbon)
Aphids are born pregnant?!!
When you were talking about LD5) values, you didnt add context, as LD50 of 200 what? Milligrams, grams?
I'm a bit confused. Are these treatments only for indoor plants or in greenhouses? I had a huge infestation of aphids last spring and summer on my property and on a "wild" bushy area behind my property along a bike bath. My issue with aphids was on young ornamentals like crabapple and cherry and on three grafted apple trees that were planted the year before. I was able to reach all the trees with heavy sprays of water except the cherry, which is about 10 feet tall now. Could not get the top. It was a constant battle and I am concerned about what will happen next year if I don't stay on top of it.
Pyrethrins work well against aphids and a wide range of insects and is considered an organic pesticide. Though I rarely bother treating aphids outside and haven't ever had them inside. Neem or insecticidal soaps are not even available in my country. Suffocating insects with a fatless milk or <1% paraffin and water emulsion spray works well as a "nonpoisonous" alternative.
Azadirachtin may have worked better as a soil drench. Although, I don't know about Canada but Azadirachtin is a restricted use pesticide so not available to home gardeners.
It's been a while since I read about Azadirachtin but I thought it had a pretty good translaminar movement. Maybe leaf spraying would have worked better in this instance with the neem oil versus oily soil drench in potting media. Granted it may have finished killing off the stressed leaves lol.
Neem MAX has been the only cold pressed neem oil I could find here. I contacted Bonide to ask if it actually contains azadirachtin and how much. According to them it does but it's just whatever's in it when it's processed.
Imidacloprid kills fungus gnat larvae so there's a side bonus.
I know this video is specific to indoor use and I agree there’s not much of an argument to “organic” pesticides inside but to clarify for newer outdoor gardeners – generally people are concerned with toxicity as it relates to beneficial insects, not humans, outside. A low toxicity to people doesn’t mean it’s not harmful for an insect who’s weight barely registers on a scale. Neem and other “organic” sprays outside aren’t much safer or more effective either and if you can avoid spraying anything for a couple seasons, nature generally keeps a healthy balance. If you can tolerate a tiny bit of loss in the garden, the benefits are worth it in the long run. I’m not 💯 anti synthetics – some days I use a very targeted stream setting on a spray bottle and pick off grasshoppers and Japanese beetles when I can’t take em any longer 😅 there’s no great way to control either anyway so it’s mostly just venting frustration to make myself feel better. And makes me feel like I’m playing that water gun-horse racing carnival game. With a side of guilt, in the end.
I was so excited to hear about this as I've been battling aphids and something that cuts my leaves in half for a couple months… I was very disappointed when reading about this product and found out you cannot use this product on plants that produce food, ie my room full if hot pepper plants… Back to the drawing board…
Would you recommend using Imidacloprid on cannabis for bhang aphids during the cannabis flowering stage when the flowers will eventually be consumed?
Can Imidacloprid be used on an Asian pear tree? I've been battling aphids on this poor tree for two years and may actually have to replace it in the spring. I was using Neem Oil and a sticky barrier, both without much success.
Once again, great video. I love these deep dives; you don't learn this stuff on the other gardening channels. Thanks!
👍👍👍 Wishing you a happy healthy and prosperous New Year to you and your family.
Id love to hear your opinion on beauveria bassiana and metarhizium anisopliae uses or correct uses.
I applaud your efforts to educate viewers on the pros and cons of different methods. My husband is an independent consultant (sells no products) who has worked (for over 44 years) with farmers who grow certified organic crops as well as farmers who use nonorganic methods when they work better. He has shown me evidence of organic products and methods that are more toxic to people than some of the inorganic alternatives. I know not everyone has 24/7 access to a consultant, but watching your videos is a great way to seek unbiased facts.
Great video & advice. I wish more people would take the time to learn about some of the synthetic pesticides (& herbicides for that matter) like imidacloprid that could be of great benefit to their garden & landscape. I also understand it may not be realistic to ask most gardeners to research imidazolidines & monochloropyridine & look at the stoichiometry & koc/kd ration. All the chemistry & science is on the issue is sound & it is easy for one to use such products especially if using A premixed formula. In fairness, imidacloprid has been misused in agriculture in prior decades & has caused serious, long-term damage to waterways & ecosystems. One may think of aquatic life suffering due to contamination but so do birds & other animals dependent on said water. There are lots of organic products that can cause such or greater damage if misused on a massive scale also. I believe educating yourself on such a topic, its history, current & proper usage is best when & if possible. In this case there is so much misinformation, outliers, & unlikelihood's being highlighted by seemingly the loudest &/or most popular voices, often with agendas, it can be tough get through to people or convince otherwise. I believe it was Mark Twain who said, "It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they've been fooled". I'm glad you are no longer deterred from using this products & the results speak for themselves don't they!