HELP - Bugs in my Basil!

S

sarah-in-charleston

Well-known member
This is the first time this has happened ( also the first time I bought the plants from this particular vender ). Nobody else appears to be infested. I have never used any bug killer, chemical or natural. Do y'all have any suggestions?

 
Are they aphids? I use insecticidal soap, but not when the sun will be on them. They can be rinsed

well and get rid of most of them before you spray.

 
I get white fly ... like crazy...on basil. A few safe things to do:

Hang the yellow sticky tags to trap them. They work if you keep agitating the plant to get the bugs moving.

Spray the plant gently under the tap. The flies (If that's what you have) will go elsewhere for the moment, but then you must immediately move the plant to a spot where the flies cannot find it. They don't care for the less juicy plants. I do this with my huge hibiscus each Fall and it's finally, the only thing that works. I bring it inside instantly after spraying it right at the back door. Good luck to those little buggers trying to find something to support them outside all winter. (maybe that's why the squirrels were a little itchier this winter)

Basil can be difficult; I guess it's more than just we who love it.

 
Some thoughts,

if you've planted the basil in the ground or in a pot you could plant some marigolds with it to help deter the pests. Companion planting used to be a popular thing to do and I did it for about 5-6 years. Had mixed results but definitely found marigolds to be a good deterrent for pests, plus they're pretty. I've also had great results with the yellow sticky traps Marg suggested.

 
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