mild aphid infestation - should I bother?

We're expecting winter, finally, to make an appearance soon here in the midAtlantic. If it were earlier in the year, I'd spray the aphids that have just shown up in the greenhouse with safer soap, etc......but is it worth doing so when we're finally going to get some hard freezes? I can't find any info on the lifecycle of aphids that helps me decide. Will they all die in the cold weather, or will they winter over in the unheated greenhouse? I manage them in the spring / summer with timed ladybug releases, but I don't want them to get a head start on me in the spring.

katie

If you don't want to go for the pesticides, I might just hose them off with a strong jet of water from time to time to keep them from getting too comfy. I keep my greenhouse heated all winter, and I will generally use chemicals to knock down infestations in there in the winter, where if it were any other time of year and things weren't crammed into the greenhouse I would avoid using chemicals (even organic ones) except in an emergency situation. I figure there are so many plants in close quarters in the greenhouse, problems can spread much easier and faster in there than they would outside. But in your case if the aphids going to freeze to death anyway maybe you don't need to worry. I think in a normal winter your weather would be cold enough that they would die in an unheated greenhouse, but I know most parts of the country except for us are having a milder winter than usual this year, so if your cold front doesn't last long and you go back to mild temperatures you might want to knock them out with Safer.

If there aren't many aphids why not just squash them with finger and thumb? End of problem.

How wonderfully gruesome Patbarr! LOL I have to say I resort to that if there aren't many, I try not to feel too gratified :)