Soft soap.

[Tilly2]

My mum used to use 'soft soap' for cleaning in the house. Can you still get it?

I thought it my be good for blasting greenfly with.

[bookbinder]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_pesticide
http://www.amazon.co....p-250ml/dp/B000VPIJ2K

[Tilly2]

Thank you very much, bookbinder. Those links are really helpful.

[heathfield]

Washing up liquid will do the same thing - a teaspoonful in 2 litres of water. There are two schools of thought on how these substances work. One is that the soaps destroy the waxy coating on the greenfly, and they die of dehydration. The second is that, as the water evaporates, a tiny amount of soap or detergent is left behind, and this coats the inside of the spiracles through which the insects breathe, so they suffocate.

[Tilly2]

Thanks for that heathfield. I tried washing up liquid on the lupin aphids but they just seemed to get worse. I have had to cut them right back and get rid of all the flowers. I also tried it on the blackflies that are swarming over my sunflowers. Again, to no avail.

I thought soft soap might be more effective. Perhaps I didn't make a strong enough solution with the washing up liquid.