In article , Charlie
writes
I think I've found aphids on the bottom of my mint leaves. There are lots
of little green bugs and foam like stuff on a few leaves. How do I get rid
of them? I'd prefer natural / free / cheap ways, but will use chemicals if
I have to, although I'm not sure if this would be harmful on herbs that I
eat! Please someone help me!

Wash the mint under the tap before you use it in cooking ;-)

Seriously, I wouldn't bother too much. If you think the greenfly are
damaging the mint's growth, gently squash them by running finger and
thumb up the leaf, or tap them off into your hand and rub your hands
together.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

I'm just worried they'll move to one of the apple trees, so I want to get
them now! We had a serious infestation a few years ago causing the apples
not to grow. Well, it might have been them combined with something else but
I don't want to give them the chance!

Charlie

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , Charlie
writes
I think I've found aphids on the bottom of my mint leaves. There are
lots
of little green bugs and foam like stuff on a few leaves. How do I get
rid
of them? I'd prefer natural / free / cheap ways, but will use chemicals
if
I have to, although I'm not sure if this would be harmful on herbs that I
eat! Please someone help me!

Wash the mint under the tap before you use it in cooking ;-)

Seriously, I wouldn't bother too much. If you think the greenfly are
damaging the mint's growth, gently squash them by running finger and
thumb up the leaf, or tap them off into your hand and rub your hands
together.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm


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I'm just worried they'll move to one of the apple trees, so I want to get
them now! We had a serious infestation a few years ago causing the apples
not to grow. Well, it might have been them combined with something else but
I don't want to give them the chance!

Charlie

"Kay Easton" wrote in message
...
In article , Charlie
writes
I think I've found aphids on the bottom of my mint leaves. There are
lots
of little green bugs and foam like stuff on a few leaves. How do I get
rid
of them? I'd prefer natural / free / cheap ways, but will use chemicals
if
I have to, although I'm not sure if this would be harmful on herbs that I
eat! Please someone help me!

Wash the mint under the tap before you use it in cooking ;-)

Seriously, I wouldn't bother too much. If you think the greenfly are
damaging the mint's growth, gently squash them by running finger and
thumb up the leaf, or tap them off into your hand and rub your hands
together.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.474 / Virus Database: 272 - Release Date: 18/04/03

In article ,
Janet Baraclough writes:
| The message
| from Rick McGreal contains these words:
|
| BTW...Am one of teh few people that has 2 spoons in my garden tool kit??
| A big ladle spoon and a small desert spoon.......
|
| Is that all ? :-) I use several spoons and a table knife; and a
| battered old seive and colander (both retired from kitchen duty). Our
| kitchen bread knife has led a double life for many years, slashing
| nettles and comfrey, cutting cabbages and caulis, trimming lettuces by
| the compost heap, etc. The steak knife set we got as a wedding present,
| were put to better use for taproot weeds and asparagus. A tea-strainer
| covers the air vent in my new wormbin.

I used a large spoon until it broke, a ghastly old kitchen knife
used for cutting potato seed and a couple of sieves. But the most
used household utensils are some old table knives, that are
excellent for handling seedlings, loosening soil in pots, and so on.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , Rick McGreal
writes
(Nick Maclaren) wrote in
:

Forget it. Aphids are everywhere in the UK, and there is no way
of preventing infestation. You can, at best, get control - which
is more-or-less what happens naturally, but only on a large scale.

HGow does it happen?...
Ladybirds, ants and spiders?

Ladybirds, yes. Not ants. Dunno about spiders.
Also bluetits and other insect eating birds.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

In article ,
Kay Easton writes:
| In article , Rick McGreal
| writes
| (Nick Maclaren) wrote in
| :
|
| Forget it. Aphids are everywhere in the UK, and there is no way
| of preventing infestation. You can, at best, get control - which
| is more-or-less what happens naturally, but only on a large scale.
|
| HGow does it happen?...
| Ladybirds, ants and spiders?
|
| Ladybirds, yes. Not ants. Dunno about spiders.
| Also bluetits and other insect eating birds.

Spiders, definitely. I thought that they were not a major predator,
but a quick Web search shows that they can be:

http://esa.confex.com/esa/2001/techp...paper_2427.htm

There are also many other predatory insects (lacewings etc.) and
probably many parasites.

As you point out, not ants in the UK. Many ants do eat aphids,
but not to any great extent in the UK as far as I know.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.