Some, such as woolly aphid, cover themselves with a white, waxy, fluffy secretion that disguises them from predators and prevents them being killed by some chemical insecticides.

Once you have sprayed this product over your plants or any other edible item, its effectiveness will last for four weeks or more. I chose peppermint because most bugs hightail it outta there when they get a whiff of the menthol in peppermint, especially ants.An additional problem caused by greenfly and blackfly is the sticky substance they exude, known as honeydew, which can become infested with black mould – this stops leaves photosynthesising and inhibits plant growth. It controls whitefly by physical means NOT chemical means and can be used in BOTH the greenhouse and in the garden. Although ladybird larvae may look unpleasant, it is not to be confused with something that will harm your plant.

However, even the keenest eyes can oversee bugs and pests and if left untreated can soon damage your favourite roses, shrubs and veggies. If you miss some, or others land on the plant after spraying, these will not be affected and will carry on feeding, breeding and building up the aphid numbers.While they’re usually not a huge problem in small numbers, a greenfly population can grow quickly if there aren’t many of their natural predators keeping the numbers down, so there are ways in which you can eliminate them when they become an issue before they do any lasting damage to your crops and blooms!

As virus infections can’t be cured, the only way to protect plants is to prevent them getting infected. Used while your fans and lights are off for total fumigation, the HotBox Sulfume prevents mould problems and eradicates Spider Mite. A systemic insecticide (BugClear Ultra) – which also kills on contact – is absorbed by the leaves and moves all around inside the plant, so will control future attacks from insect pests, for up to two months.

Inspect your plants regularly and remove the greenfly as often as they start to build up a damaging population. But I'm not totally happy as the soil is wetter than I'd like, so I don't want to add to the problem.

Bit early for ladybirds here but they are the best creature for aphid removal, and once they arrive you need a few aphids to feed them and keep them around. There’s a wide range of chemical-free (organic) products, those based on synthetic products, and chemicals (insecticides). Greenfly and blackfly are a natural part of the garden ecosystem and a vital source of food for many species of bird, including house sparrows. However, in the veg patch, where you might be growing lots of the same plant together, or indoors where there are no natural predators, so you'll need to act quickly.Be aware that products such as Neem oil are not registered for use in the UK and we cannot advise on their use. Insecticides Contact types will only kill greenfly that they come into contact with, so it’s important to spray thoroughly. So, it is important to check plants regularly, going out on Pest Patrols, and dealing with any you see – as soon as you see them.