My outdoor autos need diatomaceous earth spray for aphids and thrips

[Heather7833]

I've got 3 beautiful Autoflowers that I'm growing outside during the day and locking up at night. I've noticed some aphid eggs and thrips that are just now hatching. I'm going to spray them with 2 tbsp of diatomaceous earth in one gallon of water. Is it ok to spray everywhere since they're in week 3 of flower?

 

[Heather7833]

I also have quite a few ladybugs on my plants but they can only do so much, but my plants look so healthy, I don't want anything to change that in the next 4-5 weeks. Any help or ideas would be most helpful. Thanks in advance!

 

[gzussaves69]

Lady bugs, praying mantis, make a spray with water and Dawn dish soap or cayenne pepper or both.

 

[DancesWithWeeds]

I use Dawn dish soap for aphids.

@hotrodharley came up with a good one just a few days back. He said to put a few drops of Dawn in your DE spray. I haven't tried it yet, but tomorrow is DE day and that will be my first time with it soap in it. He said it sticks to the leafs better because the soap is a surfactant.

 

[cherrybobeddie]

I use Dawn dish soap for aphids.

@hotrodharley came up with a good one just a few days back. He said to put a few drops of Dawn in your DE spray. I haven't tried it yet, but tomorrow is DE day and that will be my first time with it soap in it. He said it sticks to the leafs better because the soap is a surfactant.

Yes, it buffers the solution to a neutral ph. Also it lessons the surface tension of the solution so that it spreads close to the leaf and doesn't bead up and evaporate. It isn't necessarily a sticker if it doesn't say so. I can't think of a dish washing soap having a sticker.
Look around your immediate area for host plants. I think you'll find some. A small amount of pine oil, I think it is, makes a good cheap sticker.