What to do with aphid infested potting soil

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swimmer_spe

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I had an indoor plant that got infested with aphids. I have dealt with them and have replaced the soil the plant was in.

It is the middle of winter, and well below freezing here for at least the next few months.
The soil is in a garbage bag, outside. In the spring, what can be done with the soil?
 
As cheap as potting soil is I'd just dump it in the yard and rake it out.
Want to save it, stick it in the microwave for about 3 min .
 
Since aphids can and will attack outside plants I might be inclined to landfill it or send it to the yard waste pick up for composting. If your own compost pile gets hot enough to kill them off you could compost it. Commercial piles tend to get hotter than home piles. I don't generally compost weeds that have gone to seed, for this reason, I send it to the yard waste composting operation.
 
Just spray them with some soapy water mix. Or an Insecticidal Soap Spray.

Would that kill any eggs in the soil? I thought that just killed the live ones and it needed to be reapplied regularly for an entire breeding cycle for it to be effective. I am in no way an expert or educated on this topic, my knowledge extends little further than hear-say, so I am genuinely asking for curiosity sake.
 
"Aphids tend to lay their eggs near browning leaves and rotting foliage. The best defense against these eggs is to clean out your flower beds and dispose of rubbish. Be sure to rake leaves and dig out any plants that may not have survived the frost. Don't leave them in the ground or the aphid eggs will prosper."

"Most aphids live on or under the leaves of plants, piercing them and extracting sap, which can cause leaves to deform or curl up . Grey-white root aphids, on the other hand, live in the soil and can attack plants causing them to suddenly wilt and die."

"Do not use insecticidal soaps to control soil-borne aphids. While they will kill crawlers moving up plant stems, they will do little to stop aphids in the soil and may harm your plants' roots."

As far as old used soil that once supported leaf aphids, I personally, wouldn't give it a second thought and dump it anywhere except in my garden.
 
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