I too am dealing with an aphid attack on my mint. I initially had a mint plant from Trader Joe's (mixed with oregano and sage) that I got in February. I threw it away after about 6 weeks from the uncontrollable aphid AND spider mite outbreak. Since then, my Aerogarden mint has matured wonderfully and my own mojitos were just around the corner when I discovered aphids!!! Since the Areogarden tank is this all-in-one shebang, I can't really wash the plant, so I just cut off the stems that were infested. That worked for about 2 weeks; pruning and pest control at the same time. This week, the aphids are back with all their cousins and friends. Yesterday, I swung by Menard's and picked up "Garden Safe" insecticidal soap (made by Schultz). I doused the mint and am waiting to prune again. I'm just hoping now that those pests don't spread to my basil and oregano (in the Aerogarden as well). It's only been a day, but I'm optimistic. Since I've never had any pest issues, I've decided that I won't be buying Trader Joe's herbs again...

Interesting. Aphids and mites seem to have a very wide range of plants they will infest, although there seem to be some they like better than others. I will see aphids on young apple growth and leaves sometimes, they seem to like plums, and they like to infest my pie cherries and the ants then start farming them. I also have a pest I forget the name of since I saw it identified in a post here, but it looks like a very small slug or blob of caterpillar poo. It strips the chlorophyll off the leaves on my cherries and plums in late summer. Usually it doesn't seem like enough to really worry about, so I don't. Other times I spray. Your greenhouse creates a special environment which probably encourages some insect pests to be more of a problem than others. I often see fruit trees or garden plants which will seem resistant to a pest, then suddenly the plant gets a little dry or puts on a growth spurt or something, and whack, something really attacks it. A nice example is leaf cutter bees and potatoes. Normally, the bees (not a pest except when they aren't out in the fields doing their pollination jobs) don't hardly touch the potatoes, but if I let them get a bit dry and the leaves wilt during mid day, the bees will start on them and from then on, even if well watered, they really go after the leaves until the plants are pretty well stripped. All I have ever been able to conclude is that a change in environmental conditions suddenly makes the plant susceptible/attractive where they normally aren't. In a green house environment(or at least indoors), leaves often seem to be less rugged because they are protected from the strongest rays of the sun and from really strong winds. This would tend to make them easier for some pests to go after, and once present, the pests often don't face the predators and climate extremes that may control their numbers. This year we have had hoards of grasshoppers the last few weeks. I have a bunch of very small apple and apricot trees which are planted in the corner of an alfalfa field. The alfalfa really choked the trees and got ahead of them this summer and I didn't have time to clean things out, plus water was pretty irregular during the summer so everything suffered from drought. Then came the grasshoppers who have pretty much left me with alfalfa stems and virtually stripped the small trees of their leaves. Just a short distance away, I have more trees that get a lot more care and don't have any competition, and the grasshoppers just don't touch them.

Jenwise- If you're on a balcony, you probably don't get many bees. (but, I could be wrong, maybe you do). I faced the same dilemma twice now. I understand the importance of bees and the integral part they play with our eco-system. Where I am in southern California, we seem to have regular infestations of Mealy bugs, spider mites, and scale insects; the top 3 with fungus gnats not far behind. I have tried extensive methods for eliminating these pests to no avail. I have cleaned, scrubbed, and bleached countless pots and containers. I have washed and sprayed plants and soil. I even microwaved the soil and still do. I have used insecticidal soaps, Diatomaceous earth, vinegar, cinnamon, alcohol, Neem oil, seven spray., etc., etc. none of these worked for very long. with the time, energy and thousands of dollars I've invested in my balcony, I was not about to let the insects win. A friend of mine on the forum recommended Bayer Tree and Shrub ($20 at Home Depot) 2 tablespoons per gallon. Used once a year. I have over 300 plants on my balcony and I still have some of the pesticide left. So, a little goes a long way. I cannot and will not suggest to you or anyone else which way you should choose to go. I am suggesting this as a solution if it could work for you. I am on the 4th level so, I don't get too many bees to begin with. I decided to save my plants. It's been about a month since I first used the pesticide and all I can tell you is that I have not seen any trace of any type of insect harming my plants. And, as for the bees, I have not seen any since I've used the product. It's as if they "know" that my plants would not be good for them. That's what i'd truly like to believe anyway. I inspect my garden thoroughly and have not seen any dead bees at all, not a single one. I sincerely hope you find a solution that works for you as i'm sure you love your plants as I do mine. all the best, Neil

Here is what I did that seemed to help: I filled a 5 gallon bucket half way with water and a bit of dish soap. I put a few sprays of mild insecticidal soap in as well. Then I wrapped the net pot in foil to prevent the medium from falling out when I flip the plant upside down and dunk/soak it in the soapy water. After 10 minutes I thoroughly rinse the leaves, taking extra care not to wet the air roots, and put the plant back in it's Kratky home and turn a fan on to help dry up any water remaining on the leaves. So far, so good.