Overwhelming Force

[hoodat]

Green soap is safer for use on the plants. It used to be available in any pharmacy but they seldom handle "simples" any more, just medicine already compounded and packaged. I'm not sure modern pharmacists even know how to make their own compounds any more.
Failing that Safers Incecticidal soap is available at most nurseries. It's neutral in PH so it won't burn as easily.

 

[seedcorn]

Mites are usually always there. When it gets hot/dry and the plants become stressed, you see the results from the mites. When the grass/weeds go brown, they will move to whatever plants have moisture. If there is plenty of moisture, the plant will feed the mites and itself. If the plants are moist enough, the mites get a fungus that kills them off as well.

Aphids are only a problem for us in Indiana when storms come through Minnesota/Wisconsin to us. Aphids can't winter over here as we have no native plants for them to winter over on. Since they are born pregnant, they can become a problem real quick. So far, never a problem in my garden but are in fields of soybeans. If you wait for predator population to enlarge in soybean fields, the damage is done and the plants can't recover. Economic threshold on them in soybeans fields is 220/plant. Smart farmers kill them off when they hit 100/plant.