Get rid of aphids for good — and save your garden — with these low-cost, simple tricks

It’s a sight that strikes fear into many gardeners but aphids are, unfortunately, a fact of life for many of our green spaces.

Aphids may be tiny, but they can cause big problems in your garden if left unchecked. These soft-bodied insects — often green, black, or white — tend to cluster on the stems and undersides of leaves, feeding on the plant’s sap. Over time, they can weaken growth, distort leaves, spread disease, and even kill vulnerable plants.

However, help is at hand from one gardening guru and the solutions require nothing more than a few cheap products that are easy to source.

Uploading his “top remedies” on social media, gardener Ish provides not one, but three methods to rid your garden of its aphid issues for good.

In a video he uploaded to TikTok, Ish begins with his first hack using ordinary dishwashing liquid that he said is “so super easy and super effective.”

“This one is super simple, take a few tablespoons worth of dish soap and just pop it in a spray bottle and top the rest off with some water,” he said.

“Now this one is fantastic at destroying the aphids’ exoskeleton which effectively finishes it off, but it doesn’t do any damage to your plants.”

Just shake the spray bottle after securing the nozzle and spray over your aphid-affected plant.

Next, Ish said to use marigolds as a trap or barrier to protect your flowering plants and vegetables from the little nasties as their fragrance deters aphids and other bugs.

“A little tip for you about marigolds, whilst these do have a bit of a fragrance to them they might still try and go for the leaves so some people also use these as a bit of a trap plant so it keeps your bigger plants healthy and they’ll go for these instead,” he said.

Lastly, Ish recommends using the spray setting on your hose to blast them off with water or introducing predator bugs like ladybugs if the first two suggestions fail.

@gardening.with.ish Aphids (or greenfly) are sticky little pests that latch on to our plants and can be a nuisance to remove. However using one of my easy methods should keep your garden Aphid free with my gardening tips for beginner gardeners I’ll be going step by step on how to keep greenfly away from your plants and flowers. #gardeningtips #gardeningforbeginners #aphids #greenfly #gardening #gardener #planttips #gardenhacks #gardenhack ♬ original sound – Gardening with Ish 🇬🇧

Social media users were thrilled by the suggestions and many rushed to share their appreciation for Ish’s suggestions.

“Thank you – they seem to love my roses. I will definitely try this,” one commented.

“My acers were absolutely covered this spring, never, ever seen it so bad. The soapy water worked a treat,” another added.

“thank you, my lupins are covered in them, driving me mad,” another commented.

Unfortunately, aphids are not the only creepy crawlies to deal with but there are many easy ways to rid yourself of many unwanted visitors.

While there are any number of sprays and chemicals you can buy, who wants their home smelling of harsh bug spray all the time?

There are some home remedies that have been tried and tested over the years, and here are some of the top tips picked up along the way.

Ants

If you’re keen to repel them, laying out some white vinegar, cinnamon, or peppermint will send them running in the opposite direction.

House flies

A handy trick is to fill a jar with some sugar water, and place a paper funnel in the top, wide side up. The flies will smell the liquid and fly into the jar via the funnel. Once in, they won’t be able to figure out how to escape again.

Cockroaches

A key part of removing roaches from your home is keeping every surface and floor sparkling clean. Then it’s just as important to seal up any gaps or water leaks where they may be able to get inside.

If they’re already inside, there’s a natural solution. Mix three parts boric acid with one part powdered sugar. The sugar lures the roaches, while the boric acid kills them. By sprinkling it around your furniture and kitchen cabinets, it is bound to be right in the way of their path.

A word of caution, though – boric acid is also poisonous to humans and pets so take care to not put it anywhere children may find it or your dog or cat may sniff around.

Fruit flies

If you’d prefer a humane way of making these pests disappear, make a paper cone with a tiny opening, and put it wide-side up into a jar with a very ripe piece of fruit or peel at the bottom.

If you leave this overnight, it will attract the flies, and you can take it outside and release them the next day.

Another good trick is to mix wine or apple cider vinegar with washing up liquid. The soap will trap the flies when they try to eat the sugary liquid.