Question
Hi Darlene

I planted holy basil from seeds. They came out really good and plenty 2 weeks ago. Now the plants are about 5-6 inches tall and I noticed first that leaves were being eaten from places 2 days ago and now I see black tiny bugs on them just sitting on the leaves, not flying or moving. What are they and How do I get rid of them? I grew this outside in a planter on my patio and plan to separate and bring them indoor by fall.

Answer
Gita,

It sounds like you have aphids on your basil. It is a sucking insect. Here are 3 recipes for insecticides that wil kill and repel aphids:

Chillies
Plant parts with insect controlling properties: fruit
Mode of action: stomach position insecticidal, repellent, antifeedent, fumigant-viroid.
Target pests: ants, aphid, caterpillars and slugs.
Preparation: 500g of chillies, dip into 3 litres of water for 10-15 minutes. Add 30g of soap as sticker. Add 3 more litres of water, filter and then spray the plants. One can add tobacco, garlic, onion, citrus, alcohol, neem and lime.

Garlic Allium Sativum (Fam. Lilaceqe)
Plant parts with insect controlling properties: bulbs
Mode of action: insecticidal, repellent, antifeedent, fungicidalnematocidal and is effective against ticks.
Target pest: aphids, house flies, mites, white fly, bacteria, cucumber and scab.
Preparation: 3 bulbs of garlic, ground finely, add some kerosene, keep for 2 days. Add 1 table-spoon of soap powder, stir and filter and add 15-20 litres of water.

Ginger Zingiber officiale (Fam. Zingiberacae)
Plant parts with insect controlling properties: rhizome
Mode of action: repellent, insecticidal, nematocidal and fungicidal.
Target pests: American bowl worms, aphid, thrips, white fly, and mango anthracnose.
Preparation: 500g of crushed garlic add 10ml of kerosene oil kept overnight. Next day remove outer skin of ginger and make ginger paste. In another vessel add 100g green chillies, mixed with 50ml of water and add 30g of liquid soap as emulsifier. Solution is stirred and filtered and 10-15 ml of water added.

Follow the instructions and place the insecticide in a spray bottle and spray the entire plant daily. Make sure that you spray the fronts and backs of all leaves. This is an organic insecticide and you can rinse off the insecticide and use your basil anytime after spraying the plant.

Another thing you can use without mixing a recipe is rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl alcohol) placced in a spray bottle. Again spray the entire plant daily. Make sure that you spray the fronts and backs of all leaves. You can rinse off the alcohol and use your basil anytime after spraying the plant. Good luck with whichever insecticide you decide to use.

Darlene