[3759allen]

hi all.

just noticed that some of my fruit trees are infested with black fly. has any body got any ideas whats best to use to get rid of them.

ideally a cheap and organic remedy would be ideal, but any info on any methods would be great.

[m1ckz]

dont think any of the home made sprays really work    i allways keep a blackfly spray in the lotty shed

[Tracybutton]

Someone I know swears by spraying with garlic crushed in water. Haven't tried it myself.

[LandShark]

Only thing that works for me is a Systemic insecticide like bug clear. Lasts for 3 months so saves spraying all the time. Blackfly can do so much damage so quickly!

[lettice]

Only ever seen blackfly on my broad beans, but seen very little so far this year.
I remove the broad bean tops once flowered which helps and spray with soap and water, that always deters or stops them.
You could try using a water spray to remove them, rubbing them off by hand or use some damp cotton wool as a rub.

Read this in Alan Titchmarsh - The Kitchen Gardener book:

On fruit they most frequently attack the young shoots of apples and fruit trees, often resulting in curled, deformed and distorted growth. Although this looks alarming, The culprits have usually gone by the time you spot the trouble because by then they will have all been controlled naturally by blue tits and similar predators, so my advice would be to ignore them. The new growth soon returns to normal; even quite badly affected fruit trees aren't harmed and there's no adverse effect on crop yields.

[3759allen]

thanks for the replies.

think i'll pop in the garden centre today and get some spray.

we have loads of blue tits and don't seem to be controlling them. not enough time free to keep spraying them off with water, at least at the moment anyway.

[Dopey113]

Everyone says that fairy liquid (or a soap solution) and water and spray, yet everyone here is saying no.... I am confused now!!

[JayG]

A teaspoon of washing up liquid (or organic liquid soap) in a litre of water in a hand sprayer has always worked for me for quite heavy infestations of blackfly on runner beans - can't see why it wouldn't work for the same pest on other plants (if you get foam instead of spray you've added too much!)