I have root aphids in expanded clay pellets that are used in my ebb and flow system. Simple cleaning and soaking with H2O2 is not eliminating the problem. I have been trying to look for solutions that are safe to apply to the roots and where I don’t need to flood all the rocks entirely. I read somewhere that using organic soap like potassium soap is effective because they tend to drown in soap bubbles but this solution has its drawbacks. first, I will have to change the system in a way where I can flood the top layer entirely. Secondly, I need to add sticky stuff to the edges where they climb. And thirdly,I need a large amount of soap in a sizeable system like mine. I was thinking of something that is organic and acts like a bait sort of like Spinosad but I am at the moment clueless as to what I can use that is safe and effective in a hydroponic medium like mine. Any help will be appreciated, thanks.
I hate root aphids . I once flushed/flooded a soil plant with a weak bleach dilution then flushed with plain water after 10 mins. And it saved my plant.
Have you tried soaps with small amounts of neem oil.
Regular Aphids don’t like neem oil.
Root aphids are hell! Easily the worst thing I’ve dealt with while growing. The only thing I ever found to kill them was something I was not willing to put on my plants. I only had a small personal grow and i tried for months to eradicate them. With no end in sight i cleaned house waited a few weeks and started over. The only thing i found that was certain to kill them was imidacloprid, but i do not suggest using it on cannabis at all. This was a few years ago for me so there might be some new weapon against them. I lost my battle with them hope you do better.
do you think that i can flush the root system with a soap and neem oil solution and get rid of them? Never tried it yet
That may work would have to clean the res and such to make sure no stray aphids crawled away and escape the annihilation. Good luck with them.
I would give it a try. The neem oil needs some soap to be emulsified into the water. Also, as @Islandgrower suggests, a very thorough cleaning is in order.
Buen Suerte
99%
I highly doubt it. Root aphids have at least 3 stages of life and all take different approaches to kill them. I would look into predatory nematodes or a nicotine spray/drench.
Nicotine eh? As predatory nematodes are difficult to apply in a synthetic hydro medium, nicotine sounds better. How good would it work, I wonder.
Yeah nicotine is nasty stuff. There is a whole process you have to go through by boiling it to extract the nicotine and kill any tobacco mosaic virus. I didn’t think about medium when mentioning nematodes, they probably wouldn’t work so well in that environment.
I have this very problem at this very moment.
I made a mild nute solution with dish soap and neem oil. I use the drill to mix it than dip the plant in the solution. The life cycle is 28 days, I will have to do it for at least 35 days. plants are in veg.
Wow. That sounds like a lot of work and trouble for a large grow. Aren’t the roots going to be huge as you get near the end of that cycle? How do you separate individual plants in a common grow table/tote/bucket to do that?
I sure hope I never have that problem to solve!!
For a small grow, it is usually easiest to scrub the operation and start fresh, unless you don’t have additional seeds.
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Take clones and scrub.
99
Yep! It is my job so I have to do what I have to do. What I need to mention is that I am in veg and I am treating everything before flower. I did have to delay my next cycle, but, better to do it now than mess with it in flower. I am also using neem up top on the rocks and potassium soap that @MadScientist has mentioned in various posts.
flood the table than pull them out.
Is a problem I wish I didn’t have
You will see them twist and burn with that shyte, it’s powerful, ecological and benebolent to plants. @ryasco and me were discussing about it one day, and he mentioned how yucca extract combined with this soap (theoretically speaking), would let the soap hang in the plant for a little longer than on its own, because of the yucca extract properties, i haven’t tried it but only because i forgot.
HppHrvst
PS.: Try to find where they are coming from, the source; otherwise you will just keep on killing them over and over…
Potassium salts could raise the ph of the solution as a drench. Don’t burn your roots, check everything before pouring. I have never drenched roots with potassium salts except potassium silicate.
I meant in the form of foliar only, I dunno that anybody uses the potassium soap as a drench, neem yes but not potassium soap. Read up before you do anything man, a lot of schools of tought around here, which is an enrichment experience, but what works for me doesn’t necessarily for you.
HppHrvst
My bad, i thought they were root aphids. 
I use the potassium soap alternated with neem on the top layer of rocks that is not in contact with the solution.
Tip, Adjust your ph before adding any oils. If you have to use your ph meter with oils make sure to clean it afterwards.
Never had to deal with these guys, but I did take notes from Clackamas Coots on the subject.