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Homemade Pesticides for Vegetable Gardens
Learn how to make your own homemade pesticides from household ingredients to kill insects in your vegetable garden.
No summer vegetable garden is perfect, and most gardens suffer some pest damage. Pests can include any organisms that injure or damage humans or their gardens, but most vegetable garden pests are small invertebrate insects. If your garden is being damaged, there are several homemade pesticides you can create from common household supplies to battle your problem.
Warning
Use homemade pesticides only as needed to control pests. Monitor
your vegetable garden and apply only when pests are problematic.
Avoid spraying plants that are not infected with pests. This will prevent you from
harming beneficial insects that positively impact your vegetable garden.
Avoid
spraying flowers while they are actively growing to protect bees and
pollinators that benefit flower growth. Spray plants during the evening
hours when bees are not active.
Wear protective clothing, including long sleeves, long pants and gloves when spraying any pesticide.
Tip
For best results, apply homemade pesticides in the early morning hours or just after dark unless otherwise recommended.
If it rains, reapply pesticide immediately to ensure that it remains effective.
General Insect Pesticide Spray
For a spray to deter a variety of insects, combine 2 tablespoons each of vinegar, canola oil and oil soap plus 3 tablespoons of baking soda in 2 gallons of warm water. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray the leaves of plants until they are fully saturated.
Soap and Oil Spray
Soap and oil sprays are excellent pesticides for mites, aphids, mealybugs, lacebugs, scale and other soft-bodied insects.
Things You'll Need
Canola oil
Baby shampoo
Water
Jug or bucket
Spray bottle
Step 1
Combine 2 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of baby shampoo with 1 gallon of water in a jug or bucket.
Step 2
Shake or stir the mixture to combine the ingredients and pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
Step 3
Spray a small, inconspicuous area of a plant. Wait 2 to 3 days and check the plant for damage.
Step 4
If you do not notice damage, spray the plant's leaves on both sides to reduce insect populations. If you notice damage to the area where you tested, avoid using this spray.
Step 5
Spray plants with this solution once a week or every 5 days as needed.
Whitefly Control
If whiteflies are harming your plants or flowers, traps can be effective pesticides. Coat a yellow plastic container with petroleum jelly. This method works similarly to a fly strip, as whiteflies make contact with the jelly, become mired in it and die. Whiteflies, aphids, and spider mites can also be controlled by rubbing an alcohol-soaked cotton ball onto the leaves. Rinse the solution off after several hours.
Slug and Snail Pesticide
A useful home remedy for killing slugs and snails that requires little preparation is beer. Fill several small, shallow pans or lids with lips that reach the ground with beer. Place the containers in open areas throughout your garden to attract snails and slugs. If the containers' lips are taller, bury them in the dirt so that slugs will easily fall in.
For more information on the subject, see "Natural Pesticides for Vegetable Gardens."
