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Apr 20, 2021 2:44 PM CST
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Name: Rosemary
Sacramento, CA (Zone 9b)
Can anyone tell me if the soapy sprays harm beneficial like ladybugs and the lb juveniles? Thank You!
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Apr 20, 2021 4:05 PM CST
Name: Luis
Hurst, TX, U.S.A. (Zone 8a)
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Definitely. The spray can harm them. Fill a spray bottle with water and add two teaspoons of dish soap. Then spray the ladybugs. But... these are the good guys in the garden so try to minimize doing this unless you have a heavy infestation. By the way, if you have a heavy infestation, they may be taking care of an infestation of bad insects (like aphids) so it may be useful to research what are they eating. You may have that second infestation pest suddenly go out of control if the ladybugs die from the soapy spray and the bad guys remain.

You could dislodge/kill aphids with a strong stream of water forseveral days. Or you can also introduce green lacewings and/or attract birds to that area.
Last edited by luis_pr Apr 20, 2021 9:45 PM Icon for preview
Avatar for porkpal
Apr 20, 2021 4:33 PM CST
Name: Porkpal
Richmond, TX (Zone 9a)
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A jet spray of plain water will knock the aphids off and they won't climb back. Any lady beetles that you spray will be inconvenienced but not harmed. I don't know about the juveniles.
Avatar for SusaninSB
Apr 20, 2021 9:35 PM CST
Santa Barbara, CA (Zone 9b)
No need for soap or anything worse. Just do a strong spray of water from the hose, with an occasional smush from your fingers, if needed.
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Apr 21, 2021 12:48 AM CST
Name: Zoƫ
Albuquerque NM, Elev 5310 ft (Zone 7b)
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I think Rosemary was concerned about harming ladybugs, not wanting to kill them. Soap spray kills soft bodied insects, so most likely would kill the LB larva. Which, btw, are much more voracious eaters than the adults. It's a maybe on whether it would kill the adults because they have hard wing coverings. Might depend on how thoroughly they were drenched. It doesn't kill flea beetles...I tried Whistling
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Apr 21, 2021 1:24 AM CST
Name: Lynda Horn
Arkansas (Zone 7b)
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Sorry, but I've never found water to be any use on aphids. Yes, they DO climb back on. I agree with the thought that if there are lots of lady bugs, leave them alone, they are the natural predators of aphids, and are doing what they're supposed to do.
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Apr 21, 2021 7:03 AM CST
Name: Mike Stewart
Lower Hudson Valley, New York (Zone 7a)
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I agree with Gardenfish; I've never been able to dislodge aphids from plants with water. To knock them off a rose cane or stem I have to strongly thump it with my finger, and that only dislodges some of them, and they reappear in equally strong numbers within a day. It's impossible to dislodge any of them with water or thumping after forming dense clumps on my Winchester honeysuckle blossoms, where they do their worst damage.
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