HOMEMADE PESTICIDE RECIPES AND TIPS

Begin treating for insects as soon as you notice signs of an infestation, the sooner you start the easier it will be to get rid of the critters.  Most recipes takes from HERE.

Note: Some recipes online require liquid dish detergent but I recommend you  substitute with a gentler liquid soap such as liquid castile or a perfume free, gentle liquid hand soap.

WEBSITE TO CHECK OUT:  I also love planting herbs and flowers that NATURALLY repel bad bugs...here's a great website to know what you can plant, where and why.  

(Misty's favorite) ALL PUPRPOSE PEPPERMINT PESTICIDE SPRAY:  great for almost all bad bugs

• 1/2 tsp of liquid castile soap
• 10 drops of essential oil PEPPERMINT
• 2 cups of water.  Place all ingredients in water bottle, shake well before application.  NOTE:  will also repel bee's (which you DON'T want) so do NOT spray on blooms.  APPLY LATER IN THE DAY because the oils can actually burn the leaves.  

Rhubarb Leaf Mix

1 cup rhubarb leaves
6.5 cups water
1/4 cup liquid castile soap

• Cover rhubarb leaves with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 20 minutes then remove from heat and cool. Strain then add 1/4 cup liquid soap. Apply. Good for aphids, june beetles, spider mites, thrips.
• Rhubarb leaves are poisonous, take care when preparing and handling. Do not use on food bearing plants.

Garlic Tea

• Make your own garlic spray by boiling a pint of water, throw in roughly chopped garlic cloves and steep until the water cools. Remove garlic bits then apply.

Cockroach Killer

• Mix 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup of cocoa, 1 cup Diatomaceous Earth.  Sprinkle around baseboards or where you see roaches.  If in your home, you can place in a tray or bowl.  Roaches will carry it back to their homes and it kills all stages of roaches.

MARIGOLDS:  Plant marigolds all around the garden and even between plants to repel many different bad bugs, but they can also attract spider mites and snails.

Garlic, Peppers & Onion Insecticide

2 hot peppers
1 large onion
1 whole bulb of garlic
1/4 cup water

• Toss in the food processor and add water, blend until a mash is made. Cover mash with 1 gallon hot (not boiling) water and let stand 24 hours. Strain. Spray on roses, azaleas, vegetables to kill bug infestations. Bury mash in ground where bugs are heaviest. Good for thrips, aphids, grasshoppers, chewing and sucking insects.

Tomato Leaves Mix

• Crush leaves from a tomato plant and soak in water for a couple days. Strain then spray. Good for grasshopper and white fly control.
• Tomato leaves are poisonous, take care when preparing and handling. Do not use on food bearing plants.

Basil Tea

4 cups water
1 cup fresh basil (or 2 TBS dried)
1 tsp liquid castile soap

• Bring water to a boil then add basil. Remove from heat, cover and steep until cool. Strain. Mix in the liquid soap then apply. Good for aphids.

Onion Insect Repellent For Plants

Save Onion Peels & Bits To Make Your Own Garden Brew

• Save onion skins, peels and ends then refrigerate in an empty margarine-sized tub or ziploc bag until the container is full.
• Once you have enough, place the onion pieces in a pail and fill with warm water. Soak for a few days, up to a week. Optional: You can keep this on the patio in the sun to steep.
• After one week, strain the onion bits out and store the onion water in spray bottles. Bury the onion bits around plants that are prone to aphids, spiders and other pests.
• Spray both house and garden plants with the water to fight aphids and pests.

*You could also mix your garlic trimmings in with the onion pieces, bugs hate garlic too.

Salt Spray

2 TBS salt
1.5 gallons warm water

• Mix salt and water to dissolve, allow to cool to room temperature. Use for spider mites, caterpillars, cabbage worms and chewing insects.

Epsom Salt Spray

2 ounces of salt
2 gallons water

• Benefits: Helps with Black Spot, Mildew, Wilt and Rust

Slug Bait Trap

• Set out beer in shallow containers to attract slugs, they’ll drown in the beer. See more tipson this page.

Diatomaceous Earth:  found in local farm store

• An all natural solution for insects of all kinds (ants, snails, slugs, etc.). Sprinkle diatomaceous earth on top of soil around plants with pest problems.  NOTE:  KILLS BENEFICIAL INSECTS AS WELL SO NEVER PLACE DIRECTLY ON PLANTS/LEAVES. (SAVE THE BEES!)  

Horticultural Oil Mix

1 TBS vegetable oil
1 tsp liquid castile soap
2 cups water

• Fill a spray bottle with the ingredients then shake to mix.

Hot Pepper Recipe

1/2 cup hot peppers (or 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper)
1 quart water
1 tsp liquid dish detergent

• Bring water to a boil, remove from heat and add peppers. Cover and steep until cool. Strain then mix in soap. If using cayenne pepper, no need to bring water to a boil first. Apply.

Citrus Spray

2 cups orange peels (or lemons)
4 cups water

• Bring water to a boil, remove from heat and add peels. Cover and steep until cool. Strain and use. Use the lemon mixture to repel white flies.

Dish Detergent & Baking Soda

2 TBS liquid dish detergent
2 TBS baking soda
1 gallon water

• Mix all ingredients together then use.

Japanese Beetle Bait Trap

2 cups water
1 mashed banana
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup wine
1/2 tsp yeast

• Mix ingredients together and put in an old margarine container, cover with lid and set container out in the hot sun for a day. The next day, remove lid and set in garden where the beetles have been spotted (use a shallow container).

Potato Leaves Tea

1 cup potato plant leaves
2 cups water

• Chop leaves then cover with hot water. Seal container and leave 24 hours in a sunny window. Strain then use.
• Potato leaves are poisonous, take care when preparing and handling. Do not use on food bearing plants.

Neem Spray

1 TBS Neem soap (shavings)
1 liter water

• Add soap to water then let sit for an hour. Shake bottle then use.

Mineral Oil Mix

3 parts oil per 100 parts water

• Benefits: Helps with Aphids, Codling Moth, Leaf Roller, Mealybugs, Scaled Insects, White Fly

Easy Soap Flakes Spray

2 TBS soap flakes (don’t use detergents)
dissolved in 1 quart water

• Benefits: Aphid control

Tips

• Apply the treatment on top of the leaves as well as underneath–don’t overdo it, excess can cause damage.
• Most recipes can be used effectively with just a weekly treatment. Excessive use may affect the plant as well as kill the good insects you want to encourage in your garden (earthworms, bees, ladybugs, etc.). If you aren’t seeing results with a 7 day treatment, you can bump it up to 5 days but watch carefully to make sure plants can handle it without being damaged.
• Avoid treating during hot sunny weather, do so later in the day to reduce the risk of burning.
• If it looks like rain, delay until the weather is clear since any rain will wash away the new application. If it has recently rained, wait till greenery is dry before applying to prevent the mix being diluted with water.
• When trying a new recipe, test on just a couple leaves first (apply then watch how the test leaves react after two or three days, if no signs of damage proceed with spraying the whole plant).

Organic Garden Aids

With a little bit of planning you can help cut down on pests and disease organically by growing natural repellents near problem areas. Here are a few suggestions…

Rosemary, Mint, Thyme: Grow near cabbage
Benefits: Repels cabbage worms

Nasturtiums: Position near cucumbers, melons and squashes.
Benefits: Repels squash bugs

Summer Savory: Position near beans
Benefits: Repels bean beetles

Radishes: Grow near cucumbers
Benefits: Repels cucumber beetles