How to Make Your Own Homemade Insecticide

Maintaining and keeping your garden healthy, is work enough already. Another responsibility is keeping the insects off and away. Many plant pest problems that occur can be solved very easily by using an insecticide. Insecticides that you can find for purchase at the store often cost around $15 or more, cutting into your budget. These insecticidal sprays usually have chemicals in them that are harmful to the environment, humans, or pets. This is why you'll usually find "Warning" or "Caution" somewhere on the label. To save you money and trouble, an organic insecticide can easily be made right at home, from common household ingredients. Here are three recipes that I have used for years, and have become very successful for me.

1. Simple Insecticidal Soap.
What it does:

This simple insecticidal recipe works best on the common garden pests, including the soft-bodied ones such as white flies, spider mites, and aphids. The formula enters the pest's respiratory systems and breaks down the membrane of their internal cells.

What you'll need:

-1 Tablespoon of soap (Use regular dish soap, or pure castile soap. Refrain from using anything detergent or anti-bacterial. As this will kill off the good bacteria which keep your plants living healthy.)

-2 Cups of water

-Spray bottle

How to use it:

You'll need to mix the soap and water thoroughly and add to the spray bottle. That's all there is to making this simple recipe, but using it however, you'll need to aim well for the pests, because this solution is only effective when it's wet. It's best to spray your plant for a few days if the problem doesn't go away the first use.

2. Medium Insecticidal Soap.

What it does: This recipe is best if you're looking for a more effective insecticidal soap, to kill and make it stick to more hard-bodied pests such as fleas. This one damages the protective waxy coating on insects.

What you'll need:

-2 Cups Water

-Spray Bottle

-1 tablespoon of soap

-one tablespoon of oil (mineral oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, or vegetable oil)

3. Heavy Insecticidal Soap.

What you'll need:

-1 bulb of garlic

-1 small onion

-1 tablespoon cayenne (red) pepper

-2 tablespoons liquid soap

-1 quart water

-Spray bottle

To make this environmentally safe and organic insecticide is to first chop the onion and the garlic very finely, and add water. Then, add the cayenne pepper. Let the mixture sit for one hour, and add soap. Mix well, and add to spray bottle. This mixture will last up to two weeks refrigerated.

Tips:

-Some plants can be sensitive to soaps, especially ferns. Do not use the soap mixture on them. ---Apply sparingly at first.

-Be careful when using around plants that are under stress. Soak them in water the day before you spray the mixture on them.

-Test the mixture on one leaf of your plants at first to see if it's alright to use.

-Spray your plants during the middle of the day, not in full sun. The water droplets will reflect onto the plant and burn the leaves.

-Spray under the foliage.