A.R.T.S. - Aphids-0 Against Flying Insects 250 ml

A 250 millilitre treatment for flying insects: green and black aphid, whitefly and fungus gnat. It works on insecticidal soap, which means something different from what most people expect.

A physical layer, not a poison

Insecticidal soap poisons nothing. It lays a thin film over the crop and over the insects sitting on it, so they can no longer reach the sap and their breathing openings close. The action is mechanical.

Two things follow from that, and they govern how you use it. First, it only works where it lands and only while it is wet; whatever you miss survives. Second, an insect cannot build resistance to suffocation, so it keeps working just as well however often you use it.

What that means for spraying

Aphid and whitefly sit on the underside of the leaf. Spray that side first and thoroughly, then the top. Do it a few minutes before lights out: the product needs to stay wet for a while to work, and wet leaf under a running lamp will burn.

A full course is usually one to two sprays, repeated weekly while there is pressure. That is short compared with many other treatments, because you are not waiting out a life cycle here, simply coating the population that is present.

Before harvest and on hairy leaves

The interval between the last spray and harvest is one day. That is short, and it is one of the reasons to reach for this product if you need to do something late in the cycle.

Take care with crops that have strongly hairy leaves, where the liquid can be less well tolerated. In that case spray a single leaf first and assess it a day later before doing the whole plant.

Technical Specifications:

• Brand: A.R.T.S.
• Volume: 250 ml
• Target: green and black aphid, whitefly, fungus gnat
• Action: mechanical, insecticidal soap
• Ingredients: insecticidal soap based on nitrate salt and diluted alcohol
• Curative dose: 50 ml per 1 litre of lukewarm water
• Preventive dose: 25 ml per 1 litre of lukewarm water
• Interval: weekly under active pressure, fortnightly preventively
• Coverage: 1 litre of spray for roughly 10 m²
• Interval to harvest: 1 day
• Note: test spray on strongly hairy foliage
• Storage: closed, cool, dry and frost-free

Frequently asked questions

Can insects become resistant to it? No. The action is mechanical, and there is nothing to evolve against a layer that closes your breathing openings.

Does it still work once dry? Barely. The action is in the wet film, so coat the insects that are there now and repeat if new ones arrive.

How close to harvest can I spray? One day. That is the stated interval between the last spray and harvesting.

My plant has hairy leaves, is that a problem? Test spray a single leaf first and look a day later. On hairy foliage the product can be less well tolerated.