No Aphids!

I visit my organic patio every day to check for aphids and other pests that need to be destroyed. Given how the aphids loved the cilantro last summer, I feel I must be on a mission to save our new patio garden. See my summary of Last Year for all our past aphid woes.

I have read that you can use a strong spray to knock them off, leaving their mouth parts behind. Apparently, this prevents them from ever feeding again and leads to their imminent death. However, some of our herbs are fragile. Maybe the herbs could survive the strong spray, but I never try. I've also read that you can use natural predators like ladybugs to eradicate the buggers. Some other sources suggest a garlic spray will deter and kill them. Have you used any of these methods? Usually, I squish them right there on the plant. I hear the smell of their dead comrades gives them cause to retreat. Do you have problems with aphids? For more information on aphids and their control, read here and here. Remember, no chemicals--it's the organic way.

Today was the first day that we had no aphids! Victory! I've won today's battle, but what about the war?