We have a huge cabbage aphid outbreak on the Brussels Sprouts. Lee and I have never seen anything like it before. Cabbage aphids can be controlled by lady beetles, but those have all gone to hibernate in our window panes. The plants are so disgusting that we have just been tossing them to the chickens for snacks. Has anyone dealt with this issue?
Yes, I’ve at times composted my entire broccoli crop, and also various garden greens because of bugs that looked much like those! I did this because I was too lazy to do what you’re doing and seek information.
Even if we had a foolproof solution, the first step is probably to not catch them this late. Some of these plants are well beyond my tolerance for insect damage. If we didn’t have chickens (who have no qualms about insects), I’d be composting them too.
You could try the blender method: gather a bunch of the critters and blend them up with some water, let sit in warm place for a few days, then apply with spray bottle. I’ve never done this myself, but had it described to me by an old farmer buddy.
Wow – those are ugly! Have you tried soapy water?
eeew. Seen ‘em, but fortunately not on the brussels sprouts!
I had that same issue with our brassica family plants (mostly broccoli). What worked really well for me was using diatomaceous earth (DE). Get an old liquid soap container with that little single hole at the top, fill it full with DE, and spray it on them little buggers. Repeat every 3 days until there are no more living bugs.
Good Luck
~Nathan