Homemade Bug Remedies

Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-212 -- More Projects »
Here--straight from Paul James, master gardener and host of Gardening by the Yard--are some home remedies for dealing with garden pests, many of which call for items you probably already have around the house:
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Figure A
The first is a simple solution made from the source of one of Paul James's favorite flavors--garlic. Finely chop a dozen or so garlic cloves, and dump them in four ounces of mineral oil. Soak the cloves in the oil for a day or two. Strain the mixture, and add three or four drops of regular dishwashing liquid. Then dilute it with about a half cup of water, and pour into a hand-held or tank sprayer (figure A). This is an all-purpose spray for all sorts of pests, but it's a nonselective spray, which means it'll kill beneficial bugs as well as bad bugs in your garden.
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Figure B
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Figure C
Here's another simple-to-prepare spray that uses another garden crop--peppers. Put a cup of chili peppers such as jalapenos in a blender or food processor (figure B). Add four cups of water, and puree the mixture. Then strain the stuff (figure C), and pour it into a sprayer. Again, you've got a nonselective spray, so use it to target only the harmful insects. Be extremely careful to not get this spray in your eyes or even on your skin.

Another insect eliminator is nicotine. Put a package of chewing tobacco in a quart jar of water, and let the jar sit out in the hot sun for a day so that the tobacco has a chance to steep slowly. Then strain the mixture into a sprayer. This mixture is poisonous and can actually be absorbed by the skin, so be careful. It can also be absorbed by the leaves of plants, so don't use it on food crops.

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Figure D
The USDA recommends mixing together dishwashing detergent and cooking oil to get a powerful control for aphids, whiteflies and red spider mites (figure D). First, make a concentrate by adding one tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap--the brand doesn't matter--with one cup of vegetable oil. When you're ready to spray, add one or two teaspoons of the oil-and-soap solution to a cup of water. Pour that into a sprayer and shake well.

Please note: Vegetable oil can burn plants, especially cabbages, cauliflower and squash, and the hotter the weather, the more it can burn. As with all these homemade sprays, test a leaf or two of the plant you intend to spray, then wait a day and check the leaves for damage before you spray the entire plant. Also remember the rule of 140: first, watch the evening's weather report. Add the outdoor temperature (in degrees F) to the percent relative humidity. If the total is more than 140, wait for a cooler or less humid day to spray.

Another homemade pest control uses plain old isopropyl or rubbing alcohol. A cotton ball soaked in this and wiped over leaf surfaces will kill a number of bugs such as aphids, mealybugs, red spider mites, scales and whiteflies that are notorious for attacking houseplants. To spray an entire plant, add one cup of the alcohol to one quart of water, and spray away.

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Figure E
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Figure F
But if you don't want to bother mixing and straining and testing these home remedies to get rid of your bug problems, then consider using a more high-tech solution--a hand-held vacuum (figure E). Pay particular attention to leaves, especially the undersides, where bugs love to hide. James does a little vacuuming in the garden (figure F).

One last home remedy is to catch a bunch of bugs that happen to be bothering your plants, puree them in a food processor and strain the result through cheesecloth before spraying on your plants.

Also in this Episode
Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-212
•Roses 101
•Poisonous Plants
•Homemade Bug Remedies
•Nuisance Trees