Snug as a bug in a rug? I don't think so. Not in MY garden.
The community garden where we have our little patch is an organic garden. I am often on the lookout for organic means of dissuading critters of the creepy crawly kind from enjoying the fruits of my labor.
You CAN make your own organic pesticides! You don’t have to spend silly money at garden centers for stuff you can make at home with supplies you most likely have on hand.
Well, here is your organic pesticide cookbook! Try some of these unique bug-buster recipes.
1. Tobacco or Nicotine Spray:
This mixture is great for combating many different types of bugs, but especially caterpillars, aphids, and many types of those nasty worms.
Ø 1 cup of tobacco
Ø 1 gallon of water
Put the tobacco into the container of water. Allow the mixture to set for approximately 24 hours. After it has stood for a day, check the color. It should be the shade of weak tea. If it is too dark, just dilute it with water until it looks right.
*Warning: Don't use this solution on peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, or any other member of the solanaceous family. Tobacco chemicals can kill these types of plants!
2. Soap Spray:
Another way to stop the slugs is with soapy water. That's right, you can just use your old, dirty dishwater! Collect some of the water in a pan and pour it into a watering can or even use a pitcher to pour it over the plants. This works really well on hostas and mums, but also can be used on other hardy plants. Many bugs do not like their lunch spoiled by a soapy aftertaste! For a stronger solution, mix 3 Tablespoons of liquid detergent into a gallon of water, I prefer Dawn, but any will do. Use this weekly.
3. Alcohol Spray:
This spray really is great for houseplants. This especially works on meal bugs.
Ø 1/2 cup of alcohol
Ø 2-3 tablespoons of dry laundry soap
Ø 1 quart of warm water
Mix all ingredients and spray immediately. You don't have to let this set, but you can't store it either. This solution must be made fresh for each use.
4. Salt Spray:
This solution is used for cabbageworms and spider mites.
Ø 2 tablespoons of salt
Ø 1 gallon of water
Just mix and spray!
5. Garlic Spray:
Here is the recipe for a garlic spray that fights slugs too. Slugs must not like eating Italian. To make this smelly spray, use the following list of ingredients:
Ø 1 garlic bulb
Ø 1 quart of water
Ø 1 medium onion
Ø 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
Ø 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap
Crush the garlic, mincing it fine. Add finely chopped onion to the mixture, while adding the rest of the ingredients except the soap. Wait an hour before adding the soap to the mixture. The spicy ingredients must sort of stew or steep, almost like tea. After an hour, add the soap and your non-toxic spray is ready to use! This can be stored in the fridge for a week.
6. Buttermilk and Flour Spray:
Garlic spray is great for getting rid of cutworms, wireworms, whiteflies, and slugs too.
Ø 1 pint of water
Ø 1/4 cup of dish liquid
Ø 2 teaspoons of paraffin
Ø 6 tablespoons of chopped garlic
Soak the whole garlic in the liquid paraffin for at least 24 hours. After a day, add the dish liquid and water to the mixture. Remember to shake it very well. Strain the solution and store it in a glass jar. This lasts around a week.
7. Dead Bug Spray:
Another way to beat the bug problem is by taking some dead carcasses of the same insects and mixing them in water. Use one pint of water and 1/2 cup of slug carcasses. Although this is rather unpleasant, it works. Would you want to be picnicking in this situation? Most of us wouldn't. Here is how you make the insect carcass solution:
Blend the water and insects until mixed well and then put into a plastic container or glass jar. To use this, pout into a sprayer and squirt a few drops on the affected plants. You can freeze this mixture for storage.
*Beware: Do NOT use flies, ticks, fleas, or mosquitoes in this solution! These insects carry many communicable human diseases!
8. Spearmint-Hot Pepper-Horseradish Spray:
This works on many different kinds of bugs- too many to list!
Ø 1/2 cup of red peppers (hot)
Ø water (read below)
Ø 1/2 cup of fresh spearmint
Ø 1/2 cup horseradish (root and leaves)
Ø 2 tablespoons of liquid detergent
Ø 1/2 cup green onion tops
Mix all of the spearmint leaves, horseradish, onion tops and peppers together with enough water to cover everything. Strain the solution. After mixing all of these, add a half-gallon of water and add the detergent also. To use this solution, mix 1/2 gallon of this solution with 1/2 gallon of water. You can use this to spray almost any plant safely. Store this mixture for a few days in a cool environment.
Have fun mixing up your potions . . . and eradicating repulsive rotten buggers.
Two-legged creatures we are supposed to love as we love ourselves. The four-legged, also, can come to seem pretty important. But six legs are too many from the human standpoint. ~Joseph W. Krutch
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