dish detergent is not horticultural soap ..

never heard to this before.. check your other plants ...

I THINK ... you can also just do it with water .. but im not sure you have a hose available ... do you have a pump tank?

ken

I bought some insecticidal soap to kill the aphids at Home Depot online this morning. Waiting for notification of their having my order ready so I don't have to go into the store. Yes, Ken, I fixed up a quick connect to my kitchen faucet so I can drag my hose into my living room, into the kitchen, and have a fine new nozzle at the balcony end to water my plants.

Aphids are such soft bodied critters that even the force of water from a hand held spray bottle does a number on them.

tj

I went to the Home Depot 5 minutes' drive away and bought some organic insecticidal soap, so I wouldn't kill beneficial insects. I sprayed it on all my many plants, trying to get it on the undersides as well. Because of the size and leafiness of some of the larger hostas, I know I didn't cover every square millimeter, but I got the majority of the plants. I noticed the aphids on the plant I initially noticed them on seemed to keep munching or sucking or whatever devilry they do after I sprayed the plant and them. Do you have to apply the insecticidal soap (I got Bonide) to every little bit or does the plant absorb it and thereby become toxic to suck on everywhere? How long does it take to kill them?

The insecticidal soap is a contact killer, meaning that you have to get it directly on the bug. No it is not systemic. TJ is right. Spray them with regular water and wipe them off with your hand. Too much spraying with insecticidal soap can burn the plant (changes the pH on the surface.)

We have many japanese maples that get aphids in spring. on the new tender foliage. We have a hose attachment called a "Bug Blaster" that sprays a very fine spray of water that knocks them off. Works like a charm. For just a few hostas you should be able to do that easily with a spray bottle as TJ suggested. Wash those suckers off!!!

-Babka