Need Help...Aphid Invasion on Lonicera

I have two Lonicera's that have been infected with Aphids. I was too late to save the blooms last year with a mix of Rubbing Alchohol, water and dish soap. I caught the infestation early this year, but the Rubbing Alchohol mix isn't working. I've sprayed twice already and the aphids are winning. Does anyone have other suggestions to get rid of the infestation before it's too late again this year?

They multiply at the speed of light so they can be hard to control if they've found a plant that they really love. You said you sprayed twice--how far apart were those sprayings? You really need to keep after them because they reproduce so quickly, if you wait too long between sprayings you'll never get them under control. You also might try using a purchased insecticidal soap instead of making your own, that way you know the concentration is sufficient to kill them (but not your plant). I think when most people mix up dish soap solutions themselves, they just use a few drops and that may not be enough to put a dent in the population. But if you're not careful and put too much in, then it can damage the plant so personally I prefer the store-bought insecticidal soaps.

What I typically do when I have a bad case of aphids is give the plant a good hosing off to dislodge most of them, then come back with the soap and spray what's left. Then every day I go out with the hose and spray them off if there are any new ones, and after a few days I'll repeat the insecticidal soap. That usually takes care of things unless it's a plant that they just adore--I had milkweed aphids all over my milkweed a couple years ago, and I could not keep them off of it no matter what I tried. So every couple days I would go hose them off the plant, that way it kept the population low enough that they never really damaged the plant and I was still able to enjoy the flowers.

i just use insecticidail soap in a blueish green bottle from walmart or lowes.

When the aphids hit the roses in spring, I buy ladybugs. They eat the aphids and leave for more food elsewhere. That takes care of it for the whole season.

Thank you. Good advice. I've been reluctant to go the insecticide route but I think those buggers have left me no choice. Here comes the TERMINATRESS!! By the way Kristi_L, where do you get ladybugs?

In terms of being environmentally friendly/organic/etc, insecticidal soap is going to be equal or quite likely even better than your own solution that you make with dish soap. The insecticidal soaps are typically certified by OMRI for use in organic gardening, vs the dish soap probably has ingredients that OMRI wouldn't like very much, and most of them are made with petroleum based surfactants, plus they have things like fragrance, etc which your plants don't need. And with the insecticidal soap it's guaranteed you're using the right concentration, so it's more likely to work too.

Ladybugs are a great choice too if you can get them to stick around, but they have a tendency to fly away and wind up in someone else's yard sometimes too. Around here, a lot of the garden centers sell ladybugs, or you can order them online, I suspect places like Gardens Alive would have them.

I don't like using pesticides because I've planted so many things to attract butterflies. Sometimes I buy ladybugs at a big nursery around here, but usually I order them online. Works every year. :)