Aphids are frequently the cause of curling leaves and stunted growth on hibiscus plants. The tiny black insects suck the plant’s fluids from its leaves, causing harm to tropical plants. The quickest method to get rid of the aphids is to eliminate them as soon as possible. However, how do you do it?
Aphids are pesky little pests that like to suck the life out of plants. These aphids can be found on hibiscus and other plant life, but luckily they’re pretty easy to get rid of! The quickest method to get rid of the aphids is to eliminate them as soon as possible. However, how do you do it?
If you discover black bugs on your plants, be sure to get rid of them right away. They are more dangerous than they are harmful in terms of spreading plant diseases, so you may want to use a fast aphid treatment like Bonide Systemic Insect Control to kill aphids permanently.
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Table of Contents
Signs of aphids on hibiscus
If you’ve noticed that some of your hibiscus leaves are curling and that the stems of your hibiscus plant have tiny greenish or black bugs, you probably have an aphid infestation on your hands.
Aphids are tiny, pear-shaped insects that measure approximately 1/8 of an inch in length. Their mouthparts are designed for piercing and sucking, which is why they cause problems to hibiscus and most annual plants.
Some of the signs of aphids on hibiscus include:
- Small greenish bugs may be seen on stems, leaves, and shoots.
- Curled leaves from aphid feeding or burrowing into stems and roots, aphids
- Black spots at the end of a leaf where an aphid has been chewing away at your plant’s fluids, aphids
- Tiny pinholes in new growth due to their saliva injecting chemicals as part of its effort to extract plant sap.
- Sticky areas on the plant
- The leaves begin to yellow and fall off.
- Flower buds that fail to open
- Shoots that have been stunted.
How to Get Rid of Aphids on Hibiscus
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Do you know the best ways to get rid of greenfly on roses? Have a read of an article that we wrote that gives you some simple steps.
Treat them early
The most effective method to kill aphids on hibiscus permanently is to start treating them early before the insects develop and do harm to the plant. The early infestation is often dealt with by a strong spray of water. Other than that, there are other ways to get rid of hibiscus aphids:
1. Use a strong stream of water to wash away the aphids
Aphids may be dealt with at an early stage when there are just a few of them on your hibiscus plant. They’ll be dislodged from the leaves, stems, and buds of your hibiscus flower by a strong dousing of water.
How you get rid of aphids with water:
Flush water on your hibiscus plants straight into the regions with aphids to dislodge as many pests as possible. Some of the aphids will be killed by a blast of water at high pressure, while others that fall off alive will starve to death.
They crawl slowly, making it tough for them to reattach themselves to your hibiscus plants fast enough to survive the eradication. They will eventually die of lack of energy as a result of their slow movements.
2. Use Imidacloprid
Imidacloprid is known to kill aphids by getting them through their tracheal tubes once they have ingested the fluid from the plant sap that has been treated with it. The aphid’s body will dry up and fall from your hibiscus plants, thereby removing the infestation.
This product may also destroy ladybugs which are usually considered beneficial insects because they eat aphids in large quantities to survive themselves. However, if there aren’t any aphids around when using this method for aphid control, then these beetles won’t be affected at all since their main prey isn’t available anymore.
If you have recurring aphid infestations on your hibiscus, Imidacloprid soil drench treatment will help you permanently control the insects since it stays in the plants and soil for the duration of their growth.
What if you don’t want to use pesticides on your indoor hibiscus? What can you do about the aphids?
3. Spray a soap solution on the aphids
An aphid soap spray can be made by mixing some liquid dishwashing soap in water. The aphids will die on contact with this solution since it breaks down their waxy coating which they need to survive dry conditions outside the hibiscus plants.
However, you should avoid spraying your entire plant with this aphid control agent because it’ll also kill off ladybugs and other pests that are helpful for your garden instead of just killing aphids. If possible, target only infestations near the top or bottom of your hibiscus plants where most of them are located at any given time of day when you do inspections during aphid outbreaks.
The soap solution is a more natural alternative for removing aphids from hibiscus plants when compared to chemical or insecticides.
Want to learn how to use natural vinegar spray for aphids? Have a read of a blog that we wrote that explains this
4. Spray an insecticide on the aphids
This aphid control method should only be used if other methods don’t work, or when aphids have successfully spread from the leaves to your hibiscus buds and flowers.
Insecticides for aphids that are available in garden centres can effectively get rid of aphids. When buying an insecticide product labelled ‘aphid killer’, read through its instructions before spraying it onto your indoor hibiscus plants so you know how much pressure is needed to deliver a strong enough spray without putting yourself at risk of getting sick by inhaling toxic chemicals.
Here are some of the best aphid killers to use:
- BioAdvanced Advanced Rose & Flower Insect Killer
- Ortho Max Flower, Fruit & Vegetable Insect Killer
- Bonide Systemic Insect Control
- BioNEEM Insecticide & Repellant Ready to Spray or Concentrate
Always remember to spray your infested hibiscus plants with insecticide solutions on the underside of the leaves, as this is where aphids prefer to hide.
You may also want to repeat the process a few times for maximum effectiveness, as insecticides are only successful the day they’re applied. Any aphids that survive the first treatment can still harm your plants unless you spray them again.
5. Apply neem oil to aphids
Neem oil is an organic aphid control solution that can be used to kill all stages of aphids on hibiscus plants. It contains azadirachtin which causes insects’ larvae, nymphs and adults to dry out and die once ingested by them.
All life cycle stages are killed when using neem oil for aphid removal from your indoor hibiscus plant leaves, so this product should only be chosen if you have a severe infestation problem since it’s also poisonous for other beneficial garden creatures such as ladybugs or bees.
Make a neem oil solution and fill your spray bottle with it. Spray the aphids on your plants, making sure the solution comes into touch with the pests. Repeat this process twice a week to completely eliminate all of the aphids.
Prevention is better than cure
To get rid of aphids entirely, or to keep the few that exist from reproducing and causing significant harm to your hibiscus plants, follow these steps:
- Prune the afflicted leaves: If the aphid infestation is minor and the aphids are found on a few leaves, you can remove them before the insects develop and distribute them to the rest of your hibiscus.
- Avoiding the use of fertilizers: In general, nitrogen fertilizers encourage new development, and aphids prefer to eat the younger, fresher plants. As a consequence – if you see a few aphids on your hibiscus plants, the best thing to do is immediately cease using fertilizers.
Aphids Identification Guide
Aphids are tiny insects that come in many different colours ranging from white, green or brown to black. They have oval-shaped bodies with long legs and antennae on their head by which they communicate with each other.
Their size varies depending on the aphid species, but most of them measure between 0.25 – 0.75 inches (0.64 – 19 mm) in adulthood.
Most aphids feed only during certain periods throughout the year when plants produce new growths so aphid infestation is most common during the springtime as well as autumn. The colonies are found where aphids reproduce quickly such as close to buds, flowers or leaves. The major identifying feature of the aphid, however, isn’t a physical one but a behavioural one; when disturbed, they do not flee as other plant insects do.
Finally, you may identify aphids by the honeydew they produce. If you see a black fungal growth on your hibiscus plants’ stems, leaves, and flower buds, it’s an indication that you’re dealing with an aphid infestation.
The sooty mould fungus is a black slime mould that grows when honeydew produced by aphids stimulates its development. Other little insects, such as ants, may be seen on your hibiscus plants as a consequence of the honeydew’s growth.
Other related questions
Does vinegar kill aphids?
Vinegar is not only effective against aphids and ants, but it is also ecologically preferable. This simple remedy can be used to battle pests while allowing beneficial insects such as bees and ladybugs to thrive in your garden.
What are the black dots on my hibiscus?
Gray mould, or botrytis blight, is a fungal disease that causes grey spots on your hibiscus tree flowers. Grey mould is an illness that affects hibiscus trees and other plants particularly when the weather is rainy in the spring and summer, and the temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Do banana peels keep aphids away?
To keep aphids and ants away, use orange and banana peels to keep the pests at bay. To repel and remove aphids from the area, bury banana peel pieces 1 to 2 inches deep in the soil around susceptible plants.
Will coffee grounds keep aphids away?
Coffee grinds are frequently claimed to be a panacea for pests like aphids, snails, and slugs in gardens, but the fact is that their pest-repelling efficacy is largely unsubstantiated. Save your coffee grounds, banana peels, and other kitchen waste for your compost pile rather than using them on plants because they’ll be much more useful there.
Why do plants get aphids?
Aphids are drawn to plants with young, mushy growth. Over-watering or over-fertilizing your plants may make them more appealing to an aphid infestation, as well as having several detrimental impacts on your plants.
