Pro garden designer reveals 69p hack that will kill green flies without using any nasty chemicals to harm your plants

Scottish Sun

04-06-2025

The remedy can be found in your kitchen
WASH THIS Pro garden designer reveals 69p hack that will kill green flies without using any nasty chemicals to harm your plants
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IF your garden is looking a bit of a mess and you want to ensure it looks fresh, you've come to the right place.
It turns out that there's a nightmare pest that may be living in your garden - and it could be the reason why your grass and plants are ruined.
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You may spot aphids clustered on the stem of soft shoots – look under leaves in particular
Credit: Getty
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Pollyanna Wilkinson, right, shared how to banish the pest without harming your garden
Credit: The Ins & Outs Podcast
Aphids are extremely common and can impact plant growth.
They have tiny soft pear-shaped bodies, and are usually green or black.
You may spot them clustered on the stem of soft shoots – look under leaves in particular – or may find a sticky substance on your plants that gives away aphids have been there sucking at the sap.
But while there's no need to be alarmed, it's best to identify the problem as soon as possible - and luckily, a gardening whizz has come to rescue with a wallet-friendly solution.
Speaking on her podcast, The Ins & Outs, Pollyanna Wilkison responded to a listener who had written into the show how to banish the common pest from their birch tree.
The gardening designer said: ''We're getting a lot of questions about how to get rid of aphids and it's a tricky one.
''Because on the one side, I want to say to you aphids are actually amazing forage for loads of really important insects - ladybugs, hoverflies, parasitoid wasps all eat aphids.
''They will be eaten by these guys if you leave them alone.''
However, if you're dealing with ''an absolute infestation'', there's something you can use - and it's already in your kitchen.
According to Pollyanna, green-fingered Brits can use washing-up liquid - which you can snap up for around 65p from your local supermarket.
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She explained in the podcast: ''The best thing you can do is put some washing-up liquid in a spray bottle and spray everything.
''That's not going to hurt anything.
''Whatever they breathe through, it blocks it and then they die.''
Keep pests out all summer
IF you want to ensure that your home is pest free this summer, here's what you need to know.
Hornets and wasps - hate the smell of peppermint oil so spraying this liberally around your patio or balcony can help to keep them at bay.
Moths - acidic household white vinegar is effective for deterring moths. Soak some kitchen roll in vinegar and leave it in your wardrobe as a deterrent.
Flying ants - herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, mint, chilli pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, or garlic act as deterrents.
Mosquitoes - plants, herbs and essential oil fragrances can help deter mozzies inside and out. Try eucalyptus, lavender and lemongrass.
''We're not here for the pesticides - the washing-up liquid will do it absolutely fine.''
The gardening whizz also recently shared the common decoration she hates - hanging baskets.
'Hate them. I effing hate hanging baskets.
'And the reason I hate them is much the same reason that I hate small pots.'
She shared the first reason for this is that she doesn't think they are 'very attractive as a vessel.'
Pollyanna explained on the episode: 'You can tend to see the plastic inside because it's got a plastic liner, because otherwise, obviously the water is going to go through.
'And I don't like seeing plastic in the garden.
'And also the body of soil that a hanging basket holds - unless it's those amazing ones outside the Ritz, which are just the most extraordinary thing I've ever seen, but those are the sides of a beach ball - it's just, it's this tiny little dish of mud.'