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Corfu, Greece Gr

something has happened to my petunias...little tiny black bugs are one them. How do I get rid of them without using pesticides?




Answers

 

Are the plants otherwise healthy, with no holes, wilting etc? I'm wondering if these tiny insects are just pollen beetles - they settle on the flowers for the pollen, and are harmless.

10 Jul, 2010

 

Thank you for your reply. Just had a look....they look like tiny little flies....and the plants are turning yellow and sicky looking. Thinking about cutting them all right back to the stem...what do you think.

11 Jul, 2010

 

Wouldn't do that in Britain, they wouldn't have time recover fully before the winter came and they keeled over anyway. Have you been feeding and watering regularly, specially if they're in pots? Might be worth spraying with a pesticide, but make sure the plants are well watered and fed too.

12 Jul, 2010

 

Right, will feed them and spray them with washing-up liquid and water. I water them every other day because it's so hot here. I'll let you know how it goes. Hopefully they will be nice enough to add to my pictures....Thanks

12 Jul, 2010

 

I would absolutely not recommend washing up liquid and water unless your washing up liquid is an eco friendly one - ordinary washing up liquid is as damaging to the environment as a pesticide spray anyway, and may well cause damage to your plants if frequently used.

12 Jul, 2010

 

My washing up liquid is eco friendly.....so is everything else in my house. I'm organic crazy....Only problem is here in Greece everything eco friendly is sooooo expensive. I buy most of my things from england...Will keep you informed of their progress or their doom...Thanks

13 Jul, 2010

 

Jolly good, then, spray away! Probably more expensive to use your imported eco washing up liquid than to buy a pesticide spray, lol.

13 Jul, 2010

 

Hi there again. Well you were right. My washing up liquid didn't really do anything but make them worse. I pulled a few of them out and a few just cut them right back. Better luck next year. By the way my washing up liquid and my washing items are bought here in Greece....we actually have our own brand, what a surprise....lol
I never use any pesticides, prefer to loose a plant or plants.....thanks

18 Jul, 2010

 

Hi Alexandramou.....personally I would get rid of them, it could be something thriving in the compost....burn the plants and dispose safely of the compost, and scrub the planter thoroughly...if they are growing in the garden, make sure nothing else has been affected, you may have to do the same with other plants....

15 Aug, 2010

How do I say thanks?

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