You go out into your garden to pick a few vegetables and it looks like someone else beat you to it. Garden pests have made a snack out of a lot of your plants. You want to get rid of them but you don’t want to use chemicals that could be toxic to you or the earth. The good news is you don’t have to. Did you know that tomato leaves have the potential to send pests packing? This isn’t the only natural insecticide that you can make right in the comfort of your own kitchen. 

Keep reading for a complete list of insecticides that you can use that are free from chemicals and safe for the environment. 

1. Oil Spray 

Oil spray is a good universal insecticide to use. It works on a variety of different pests in that it blocks the pores that they use to breathe and suffocates them. All you need to make the spray is one cup of vegetable oil and one cup of mild soap. 

Mix the two together in a container and then shake it to mix the two up. When you’re ready to use it in your garden, scoop out two teaspoons and put it into a quart of water and shake it again. Spray any areas on your plants that look like they’ve seen heavy insect traffic. 

2. Soap Spray 

If you don’t have any vegetable oil on hand, don’t worry. You can make an effective natural insecticide with water and soap. Put 1 1/2 teaspoons of mild soap into a quart of water and spray it on the affected areas of the plants. 

It will kill a variety of different pests like mites, whiteflies, aphids, and beetles. It works sort of in a similar fashion as the oil spray except it dissolves thier outer shells. 

3. Garlic Oil Spray 

Garlic may smell delicious to humans but bugs can’t stand it. Garlic is off-putting for some pests and for others it’s lethal. All you’ve got to do is mix around three cloves of garlic with two teaspoons of mineral oil.

Let the garlic and oil sit overnight and then strain the garlic out of the mixture. Place it in a pint of water and add a small teaspoon of biodegradable soap to it. When you’re ready to spray it on your plants, dilute it by putting two tablespoons of the mixture into a quart of water. 

Keep in mind that you shouldn’t apply this mixture to your plants on the hottest parts of the day. If you do, the oil will burn your plant’s leaves. Spray your garden in the early mornings or late evenings. 

4. Hot Pepper Spray 

If you find that your plants are covered in mites or whiteflies then hot pepper spray will be the answer to your prayers.

The heat of the pepper will burn them. Sort of like if you were to rub chile pepper in a cut or sore. It doesn’t feel good.

To make it, put two teaspoons of hot pepper sauce and a little bit of biodegradable soap in a quart of water. Let the mixture sit overnight and then go out in your garden the next morning and spray the infected areas. 

5. Neem Oil 

Neem oil is a good thing to spray on your plants before they actually become infested with insects. It works by interfering with the pest’s natural lifecycle. 

While you can’t make this one at home, you can get it from about any hardware store. To use it you can go by the instructions that are on the bottle or you can dilute it by adding 2 teaspoons of neem oil and 2 teaspoons of biodegradable soap to a quart of water. Shake the mixture together and then spray it on the plant. 

6. Tomato Leaves 

Tomatoes are part of the nightshade family. Things in the nightshade family have the potential to ward away common garden pests. 

All you need to do to make it is add two cups of tomato leaves to one quart of water. Let it steep like a fine tea overnight and then strain it in the morning. Spray the tomato leaf infused water on the infected areas of your plants.  

7. Essential Oils 

Essential oils have many benefits. They can help you sleep, make you calmer, and get rid of your garden pest problem. You can use citronella, peppermint, lavender, or tea tree. 

Mix them with a little bit of water and dish soap and then spray them on your plants. It may not kill pests but it will irritate them and make them think twice about making a snack out of your garden. 

8. Beer

Beer is one of the best things that you can use on slugs. They are attracted to the yeast. You can empty out a small can of tuna and fill it up about an inch with beer.

Stick the can down into the soil. Make sure it’s about an inch into the soil so the slugs actually have to get down in the beer to get a drink. They’ll get stuck and drown. 

Use Natural Insecticide to Keep Pests Out of Your Garden 

Do you have a problem with pests in your garden? You’ll need to get rid of them or you could lose your plants. Try out some of these non-toxic natural insecticides so you can kill the pests and keep the environment and yourself safe. 

Have your outside pests become your inside pests? Contact us to set up an appointment or ask about our services.