Our friend Anne Frank at Lake of the Pines called in to ask “how do I get rid of Aphids on my Crepe Myrtles?”

After a bit of research, I divided my answer into  manual, organic,  or synthethic treatments.  Synthethic is an euphemism for “chemical,” or course.

The two most highly recommended treatments are below indicated in bold italics.

Manual

Spay ‘em off with your hose or pick ‘em off by hand

Organic

Neem Oil spray or Safer’s Soap

Ladybugs

Synthethic

Ortho Systemic Insect Killer (spray to get rid of them instantly)

Bayer Advanced 12 Month Tree and Shrub Protect and Feed (mix it and pour at the base of the plant)

I might start by spraying the aphids off with water, then putting a bag of ladybugs at the base (sounds entertaining!), then pouring the Bayer Advanced at the base.

If that doesn’t work, nuke ’em with the Ortho.