How to Get Rid of Greenfly

Advice on how to get rid of greenfly from rose specialists at David Austin Roses, including pest control, looking out for a greenfly outbreak and how to attract the right kind of insects.

We've made sure that our roses and lupins have been planted, fed, nourished and pruned with care and affection. And now we await and enjoy the pleasures of their beautiful flowers in the hopes that they don't become victim to an invasion of green aphids, more commonly known as greenfly.

But, helpless we are not, as the rose specialists at David Austin Roses highlight. We asked their Technical Manager, Michael Marriott, to share his top tips on how to get rid of greenfly in our gardens.

What are greenfly?

Greenfly, part of a wider group of insects called aphids, are one of the most common 'pests' in our gardens. They are attracted to all types of plants and flowers because they like to eat the sap they exude. They are commonly associated with their love of roses but they can be found on any plant.

Greenfly are not always green. With a number of different species, they can appear green, brown or pink. They are very small, just one to three millimetres long with six legs and sometimes with wings, although not all of them can fly.

Does spraying plants with chemicals get rid of greenfly?

Michael advises that we should not spray our plants with insect repellant, pesticides or chemical pest control because this can upset the natural balance of insects in the garden and end up killing beneficial insects as well as the greenflies.

If possible, we should let nature regulate itself. We can do this by making sure we are attracting all kinds of insects and species into our green spaces. That way, we will create a balanced eco-system which will regulate itself via the food chain.

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