You can get rid of many common garden pests like aphids, mites, thrips, caterpillars, squash bugs, and whiteflies using natural and homemade pesticides.
One of the best things about making your own insecticides and pesticides is that you can be sure of what goes into them. Moreover, you may already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen.
Below are some of the best natural and DIY pesticides to get rid of bugs and pesky insects on plants.
1. Neem Oil
Among the natural pesticides for plants, neem oil kills and repels many harmful insects and related pests.
To make a basic, all-purpose neem oil spray for plants, combine one teaspoon of neem oil with two teaspoons of liquid soap and a liter of water.
Alternatively, purchase a ready-to-use neem oil concentrate from reputable online sellers or your local garden store. Follow the directions on the bottle on how to use it.
Apart from being an organic bug spray for plants, this solution is also useful as a natural fungicide for certain fungal disease issues.
2. Vegetable Oil Spray
A mixture of vegetable oil, soap, and water will suffocate and kill pests like mites, aphids, scale insects, and others.
To make a DIY plant spray for bugs, mix a cup of any type of vegetable oil with a tablespoon of liquid soap and shake well.
When ready to apply, add 2 tablespoons of the oil solution to a quart of water. Next, shake well and pour into a spray container.
Spray plants and pests.
3. Beer
To avoid the horrible sight of having your plants eaten away by slugs and snails, drown them in beer.
Place bowls of beer near plants at night. But ensure that they are shallow enough for the pests to crawl in but deep enough to prevent an escape.
The critters love the smell of beers, so they’ll climb in to get it and eventually drown. Finally, remove the dead pests in the morning.
4. Soap Spray
This method has a similar effect to the oil spray above. However, all that you’ll need are 5 tablespoons of organic liquid soap and a gallon of water.
Combine in a spray container and shake well. Next, spray plants and pests. Be sure to coat both the top and underside of the leaves.
This DIY soap spray works great as an organic pesticide for tomatoes and other crops in your vegetable garden.
Use it to get rid of aphids, whiteflies, thrips, mealybugs, and other insect pests. You can also use it as an indoor plant spray.
5. Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
Diatomaceous earth is one of the best insecticides for vegetable gardens. The product is abrasive and will cut into the pests’ bodies. This results in dehydration, followed by death.
DE is easy to apply. Dust it on and around plants, but cover your nose so you don’t inhale it. Also, you may need to reapply after watering or rainfall.
Alternatively, make a homemade plant insecticide spray by combining 5 tablespoons of DE with a gallon of water. Shake well, and use it to spray your plants. It will start working against insect pests when it dries out.
6. Vinegar Solution
To make a natural bug repellent for plants using vinegar, mix one part vinegar with three parts water. Add in a teaspoon of liquid soap, too.
Shake well and use it in the evenings on and under the leaves of plants to kill infestations. It works against flying insects, spiders, ants, and more.
Use it on outdoor vegetables, trees, flowers, and shrubs. It is also safe to use on indoor plants.
7. Garlic Spray
The powerful smell of garlic naturally repels many insects and related pests.
To make a simple homemade organic pesticide at home, puree a whole garlic bulb in 2 cups of water. Leave it to steep overnight.
Next, strain it and add a little liquid soap to the solution before adding more water (a quart) to it. Finally, use this DIY pesticide to spray the affected plants.
8. Hot Pepper Spray
If using fresh hot peppers for this method, wear protective gloves and take care to avoid contact with the skin and eyes.
To make a homemade garden bug spray, puree half a cup of hot peppers in one cup of water. Next, add a quart more water and bring it to the boiling point. Strain when cool, add a teaspoon of liquid soap, and spray where needed.
Alternatively, use a tablespoon of chili powder to make a spray by adding it to a quart of water. You can also use cayenne pepper powder.
Also, avoid spraying when the sun is hot. Choose early morning or evening instead. This DIY spray works great on budworms and other moth caterpillars.
9. Tomato Leaf Spray
Tomato plant leaves contain compounds that can help control pesky aphids and other garden pests [1].
Make a homemade bug spray for your vegetable plants and flowers by steeping 2 cups of chopped tomato leaves in a quart of water. Leave it to rest overnight.
Afterward, strain it and use it to coat your plants with a sprayer.
10. Milk Spray
Mix up a 40/60 solution of milk and water and spray crops as needed. Use it to spray all plant surfaces, including the undersides of leaves.
This treatment works against sucking plant pests such as scales, aphids, and mealybugs. It also controls powdery mildew on cucumbers and pumpkins.
11. Baking Soda Spray
This is another effective home remedy that helps kill fungus as well as bugs.
To make an organic spray for bugs and plant fungus, dissolve 1 to 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a gallon of water.
You can also add a teaspoon of liquid soap. This will help the solution stick to the plants. Next, after shaking it well, pour it into a spray bottle and use it on infected plants.
Moreover, this baking soda solution works great as a homemade powdery mildew treatment.
12. Sticky Traps
The colors yellow and blue seem particularly attractive to certain harmful insects.
On pieces of cardboard, apply some sticky glue on both sides. Next, punch holes, thread with wire or string, and hang above or near plants.
Use yellow traps to attract fungus gnats, whiteflies, aphids, and psyllids [2], but use blue traps to attract thrips and leaf miners.
Yellow sticky traps work well for almost any crawling insect. However, be careful with these, as they will also trap and kill beneficial insects you want to keep.
13. Himalayan Salt Spray
Combine two tablespoons of Himalayan salt with one gallon of water in a spray bottle.
Use this as a plant pest spray, particularly for ridding the garden of cabbage worms, caterpillars, and aphids.
14. White Mineral Oil
Some of the most destructive garden pests, like mealybugs, mites, whiteflies, and aphids, can be controlled by this method.
You’ll need one cup of white mineral oil and a quarter cup of liquid soap. Shake well to make a potent concentrate.
Next, store it in a sealed jar. However, use it all up within three months.
When you are ready to apply it, dilute one tablespoon of the concentrate in four cups of water and spray your plants. Use this measurement as a guide for larger spray batches.
15. Eucalyptus Oil
Eucalyptus oil is a natural repellent for scale insects, earwigs, cockroaches, mosquitoes, flies, and other pests.
To use it, mix one teaspoon of eucalyptus oil and half a teaspoon of liquid soap with two cups of water. Shake well and coat your plants with the solution.
Additionally, try soaking some cotton wool balls in the oil and placing them where rodents like mice or rats frequent. Place them in cabinets, drawers, and other places inside your house.
16. Epsom Salt Solution
Make a DIY pest control spray by adding one cup of Epsom salt to five gallons of water.
Mix it up in a large enough container, and then pour it into a sprayer. Apply it to the foliage to deter beetles and other garden pests.
You can also apply Epsom salt around plants to control slugs and snails in your garden. The scratchy surface of the salt will irritate the pests’ skin, later dehydrating and killing them.
17. Citrus Peel Water
Take the peels of oranges or lemons (about a cup full) and boil them in 4 cups of water for about 10 minutes. Leave it to cool. Next, strain and use the citrus peel water as an insect spray.
See also: 15 Natural and Homemade Fungicides for Indoor and Outdoor Plants.
Takeaway
There are many natural methods available to help control pests in agriculture. The above natural and homemade pest control remedies will help you get rid of the most common pests in your garden.
Add comment