Growing your own garden will protect you and your family against harmful chemicals and other toxins that large companies pump into their foods.
That is until you try to battle the never-ending armies of insects, like, ants, aphids and squash bugs. Using harsh insecticides on your homegrown produce can still lead to feeding your family harsh chemicals that cause illnesses like cancer.
Instead of using harmful chemicals, try mixing your very own organic insecticides to get rid of pests. Organic insecticides were used by the first farmers because today’s harsh chemicals had not been invented.
These farmers used natural products to ward off pesky insects, and now you can too. Here is a list of 7 Organic Homemade Insecticides that you can make at home.
1. Neem Oil
Neem oil is a vegetable oil which is derived from the fruits and seeds of the neem, an evergreen tree that is indigenous to o the Indian subcontinent. This oil was used in Ancient India to ward against pest.
Neem oil is dark red in color and contains an odor that is a mix between garlic and peanut. Neem oil repels a variety of bugs, for instance, mealy bug, beet armyworm, aphids, thrips, mites, beetles, fungus gnats, cabbage worms, Japanese beetles, nematodes, whiteflies and mushroom flies. Here is a recipe to use neem oil efficiently.
- Mix 1/2 ounce of neem oil with 1/2 teaspoon of mild organic soap.
- Mix neem oil and soap into two quarts of water.
- Pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Try to use the mixture as soon as possible.
2. Garlic
Ever since ancient times garlic has been used in a variety of ways. It originated in central Asia and has become a staple in several countries throughout the world.
Garlic has been known to be effective in getting rid of a variety of insects, such as, aphids, caterpillars, Mexican bean beetles, termites, whiteflies, wireworms, imported cabbage worms, mice, mites, moles and ants.
Garlic kills more than just plants as well, garlic has been known to get rid of fungi and bacteria as well. Here is how to use the power of garlic to take back control of your garden.
- Mince, crush, or grate 3.5 ounces of garlic.
- Mix the garlic into .5 liters of water and .5 ounces of mild organic soap.
- Strain the mixture using a cheese cloth or strainer.
- Dilute the mixture in five liters of water and put into a spray bottle. For the best results use immediately after mixing.
3. Chrysanthemum
The Chrysanthemum is a flower that has a daisy-like appearance. Their flowers can a variety of colors, typically white or red. Chrysanthemum wards against lice, imported cabbage worms, spider mites, aphids, bed bugs and ticks.
Here is how to make your own Chrysanthemum insecticide:
- Boil 3.5 ounces of dried Chrysanthemum flowers into once liter of water.
- Let the mixture boil for twenty minutes.
- Allow the mixture to cool and then strain it.
- Pour into a spray bottle. This solution can remain good for two months.
4.Tobacco
Tobacco is not only bad for humans, its bad for insects as well. Tobacco has been used for years in warding off insects, such as, aphids and caterpillars. Here is how to make a solution with tobacco.
- Mix one cup of all-natural, organic tobacco in one gallon of water.
- Let the mixture sit for 24 hours.
- Strain and put in a spray bottle. Do not use this mixture on plants in the solaneceous family, such as peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes.
5. Eucalyptus Oil
There are a great many essential oils that are beneifical in warding off inscets. One of the best essential oils is eucalyptus oil.
This oil wards off pests, such as, flies, wasps, and bees. Simply drop alittle eucalyptus oil onto the plant where you are seeing insects. They will soon be gone.
6. Epsom salt
Epsom salt is a mineral compound which is composed of magnesium and sulfate. Epsom salt has been used for years to naturally get rid of pests, such as, the Colorado potato beetles, slugs, and snails.
Not only does epsom salt get rid of pests, it has also been know to fertilize your garden’s soil as well. Simply sprinkling epsom salts onto your plants leaves can ward off other pests, such as, rabbits, groundhogs, and deer.
Here is how to make a spray out of epsom salt:
- Mix two tablespoons of epsom salt into one gallon of water.
- Pour into a spray bottle.
7. Onions
Onions contains many of the same insecticidal properties that garlic contains. Onions ward off the same insects as garlic does, such as, spider mites and slugs.
Onion spray is also made in a similar manner as garlic spray:
- Dice up one to two onions and mix into a quart of boiling water.
- To heighten the potency, add one tablespoon of cayenne pepper and garlic.
- After, the mixture has cooled, pour into a spray bottle. This mixture can last up to one week.
There are other ways to protect your garden against mother nature beside these 7 Organic Homemade Insecticides. Certain plants or herbs have the tendency to ward off insects and plant life that could threaten your garden.
Knowing what herb wards off which insects can be helpful in having a pest free garden. There are a great many varieties of companion plants.
Plants such as chrysanthemum, lavender, garlic, mint, catnip and rosemary are just a few common companion plants. To ensure that your garden grows to the best of its potential, be sure to do your research into which herbs are best suited for which plants.
If you are growing your own garden then you obviously you care about the quality of food your family consumes. Do not waste all of your hard work producing natural, chemical-free produce, to only turn around and use insecticides that contain the very chemicals you are trying to avoid.
The methods listed above are safe, healthy and most of all natural. All of the ingredients listed in this article have been used for centuries and are the tried and true way the original farmers used.
Try the 7 Organic Homemade Insecticides that are listed in this article to ultimate health today.
Would Dove soap qualify as mild organic soap?
I am having a problem with stink bugs as well as aphids all over my bush beans! I love in southwrst florida and I need help getting rid of them. Also what is safe for my pepper plants as well?
FYI for people with dogs, onion and garlic are poisonous for dogs. Dogs will get into everything you think they won’t. They won’t go near the Neem oil, because it stinks. That stuff smells like pine sol except worse. I have pretty good luck with Neem oil alone, but with slugs I use pesticides. In the bad heat they’re going right under your plants, which is where they were. I can’t salt the grass, I just seeded it last fall. And tobacco is hugely expensive compared to simple pesticides It hasn’t affected the birds, butterflies, or pollinators at all They’re all over the place, squash are getting pollinated in their starter pots already.
However, I do pray over everything I use and place and intention in it asking that no beneficial insects are harmed. That is working. We manifest what we believe, hard as that is to understand. And technically this nursery moved into their natural area so it’s expected I suppose. Can’t blame them for trying, but they’re still gonna die.
hi mike, we’ve had an ongoing problem with whiteflies on our tomato plants and some flat leafed evergreens, i can not recall what they are called at the moment. last year those evergreens were loaded with whiteflies. i expect it will be the same this year.
my problem is not knowing if what i spray on them will affect the birds that go into them. they are the usual mundane variety flat leafed evergreen you can get in any nursery or place that sells plants. wish i could remember what they are called…:o) there are 3 or 4 of these evergreens planted in front of the west facing windows in our 3 season room. i don’t know how old they are as we just moved here 3 summers ago. but they are quite tall, at least 7 or 8 feet tall.
we live in illinois, zone 5b.
thanks mike, i really enjoy your articles.
Cheri,
I’m guessing boxwood, Japanese holly, or English holly. But I honestly don’t know about the birds.
i looked online and the closest i could find is under the category Arborvitae. thanks for the help.
Thanks for the recipes Mike. I’ve been using garlic with success.
I wish you utilise cow urine also for spray as it saves a lot against red mite. My friend used to create his own insecticide in COPPER utensils. He used 4 containers and put about 1 lb of Tobacco,1 lb of chillies,one lb of
Garlic and one Lb of Neem leaves in separate vessels and with the mouth covered he would allow the mixture to ferment for 15 days. He used to finally mix all andfilter after grinding each content in mixi. The same was used as a concentrate and the result were great. He was illiterate and could not explain the insects the solution eliminated. You may try it.
He used sea salt a cheap solution against snails. He used to spread salt around his pols and were seen as snail free.
What a wealth of information Mike. The garlic formula applied in a fine mist nearly anywhere it is dark and moist will also kill Mosquitos on contact leaving your yard nearly free of those pesky little critters! Garlic does not have an odor that last too long with our smeller! The formula lasts for just about 2 weeks.
This was a very good article and you have to read it all to understand what you are doing wrong. A longtime gardener came to my house this week and saw the ring that went around several trees and asked if I had chemically killed all of the grass. He said “I he thought that after you sprayed with that type of chemical you couldn’t plant anything for l year. I said, I’ve just planted all of those plants after I sprayed and if you look closely you will see all kinds of new weeds coming up in the middle of the grass I killed. He had me thinking, was all of these plants I just put down going to die. Your article reaffirmed that I was correct. It kills whatever green you spray it on thru the leaves, not the soil. I used 4l% and new plants are already coming up where all of the brown is so I will have to take care of that.
Thanks again Mike McGroaty
Julia
Thanks so much for sharing this info! I found it very useful and it has solved some of my problems with bugs. Thanks again..
Thank you I’m going to try them! I’ve used the eucalyptus oil as a mosquito repellent and works very good!
Thanks Mike, good info.
I’d forgotten about the Epsom salt, and the tobacco grows wild around here- strong stuff! I so needed this, because I have been putting things off until perfect happened – Mirage! This also sounds like it would be a good soil cleaner for starting seedlings – Mike, Thank You!
Cheryl
Where can I find Neem oil?
Poppy, just do a google search and I’m sure you’ll find a lot of places that carry it.
Home depot sells. Concentrate bottles
The best stuff on the market is Garlic Barrier. I love the stuff.
Thank you for these recipes!!! I have been fighting a losing battle against squash bugs, ants, and cabbage worms. Neem oil doesn’t seem to affect the squash bugs– but I think it killed my squash leaves. I have red about some of the ones you suggested, but noone ever said to use mild organic soap– I was using dish liquid in the mixes and I think my plants have suffered for it. Thank you for the advice of not putting the tobacco juice on my nightshades, for I certainly would have done it — I just bought some tobacco last week to make the elixer with it. LOVE the wealth of information I have gotten from reading your newsletters and learning from your backyard growing system this year. Thanks so much. Dulcie
.Stink bugs were destroying my opuntia cactus (prickly pear). I read on a forgotten web sift of how to get rid of them without using chemicals. What you will need is a shop vac ( an electrical cord to get to the plants) a nylon soc and duct tape. Cut the sock about 6 to 10 inches from the toe end. Stick the toe end first into the wand of the vacuum cleaner and fold the end over the wand about an inch or two and secure with duct tape. Now here comes the fun part: vacuum the stink bugs up. Do this a few times over several days until stink bugs are gone. Remove the sock, twist. The open end and dunk in water to kill bugs.