Mosquito larvae in water butts
United Kingdom 
I added some washing up liquid to my water butt to see if it had any effect on the mosquito larvae, within 48hrs 90% of the larvae had been destroyed. I also sprayed my veg with liquid soap on black aphids, they also got wasted. Does this mean the old wife's tail of using a soap solution spray on pests really works. your thought's??
15 Jul, 2009
Answers
Yes, it does - but in the case of aphids on plants, it only destroys the aphids on it when you put the solution on, so you have to keep retreating every time new ones invade.
15 Jul, 2009
At least you have clean aphids!!
15 Jul, 2009
I always retreat from invaders, Bamboo. LoL
15 Jul, 2009
Yea, I should have put a hyphen in there - should be re-treating! I don't retreat from invaders - straight up there eyeball to eyeball, get it out of the way!
15 Jul, 2009
Just dont apply to much or to concentrated as i can cause problems to the plant being treated
15 Jul, 2009
In the case of Mosquito larvae, the meniscus on the water surface is destroyed and the larvaes breathing holes become flooded with water and they drown....nice!
19 Jul, 2009
Soap acts as an agent that lets you wet stuff that would normally be more difficult for the water to stick to ( like using it to strip wallpaper) also it breaks down the oily or waxy coating on aphids etc.The Victorians used it a lot for pest control.
15 Jul, 2009