help with aphids!

I just harvested about 12 lbs of fuggles and after I started drying them I have a ton of aphids that decided to come out. Is there anyway to get rid of the aphids safely or is this harvest ruined?

Aphids don't chew, they suck. And when there's nothing left to suck, they leave. So keep on drying the cones, and when they're down to around 20% of their original wet weight I expect the aphids will have cleared out o' town...

Cheers!

USDA allows a lot of them in hops. So when you order hops from a store, remember that there might be a few in them. just FYI.

Crito said:

USDA allows a lot of them in hops. So when you order hops from a store, remember that there might be a few in them. just FYI.

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Ah man that is not a pleasant though... maybe try biological pest control like ladybugs or parasitic wasps? They'll eat aphids right up

Lol you know the first time i used fresh hops in a brew, I picked an oz or so and threw em in green for the last 10 min of boil. noticed after they hit the water that they were loaded with aphids. The brew came out fine. rdwhahb, like was mentioned as the cones dry they will vacate the cones. then as was also mentioned try and get a ladybug army going next year.....u can buy em or do like i did for my 1st 2 years any time i found a ladybug anywhere i snagged it up and brought it to my hops. This year i had zero aphid problems as my army was uber large.

I think this year I have seen the most aphids ever!! Was out Monday picking the girls up from piano practice and got attacked on the way up to the house.. we all got back to the car and close the doors and I swear there was at least 100 of them in the car.. then I got home and glanced at the neighbors and I saw a swarm of them.. their everywhere around here in masses. Didn't really notice them earlier.. thought it was kinda late in the season too..

edmanster said:

I think this year I have seen the most aphids ever!! ... I saw a swarm of them...

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Do you mean ladybugs by any chance?

As mentioned already, the aphids will leave the hops as you dry them. I have aphids in my homegrown hops every year and it hasn't hurt anything yet.

ForerunnerBrewer said:

Do you mean ladybugs by any chance?

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Definitely aphids.. the small bright green ones with big wings. Kinda like this..

http://www.buglogical.com/images/catalog/category53.jpg

I'm no bug expert, but I think that is a lacewing....if so, they eat aphids....definately not an aphid.

Hethen57 said:

I'm no bug expert, but I think that is a lacewing....if so, they eat aphids....definately not an aphid.

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that was the closest pic i could find of what i remember flying around.. your right that pic is of a lacewing.. i just remember small green bodies and large clear wings and they were aphids