8 Homemade Insecticide Ideas for Your Garden

Gardening helps clear our minds, relieve tension, and connect us with nature. But pests often accompany plants. While protecting our plants from pests is essential, traditional pest control methods harm the planet.

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They contaminate soil and water and can be toxic to other organisms like birds, fish, beneficial insects, and non-target plants.

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They can also irritate our skin and eyes and impact our nervous and endocrine systems.

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Try these organic pest control methods to keep pests away without harming the planet.

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Companion planting

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Companion planting is a pest control strategy where plants benefit each other by improving environmental conditions, attracting beneficial creatures, and repelling pests. For instance, marigolds can deter root-feeding nematodes when planted with tomatoes, and basil can repel aphids when planted with lettuce. This practice also attracts beneficial insects and pollinators to your garden.

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Trap crops

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Trap crops are sacrificial plants used to attract pests away from main crops. There are two basic ways to use trap crops:

• Same species: It can be an early or a late crop of the same species such as Blue Hubbard Squash to protect cucurbits from squash vine borer.
• Different species: Using a different plant species such as sunflowers to divert leaf-footed bugs from tomatoes.

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These crops also attract predatory insects like ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps, which further help control pest populations.

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Mechanical and physical barriers

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You can also use mechanical and physical controls like screens, barriers, fences, traps, and mulches to keep pests at bay. These tools include deer fences, chicken wire, insect screens, bird nets, shade cloth, and plastic mulch. Floating polyester row covers protect crops from environmental stressors while allowing rain, sunlight, and gas exchange. There are also traps such as sticky, colored, pheromone, trigger, light, and varmint traps to catch and kill pests.

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Neem Oil

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Organic Neem oil is a natural homemade insecticide effective against a wide range of pests, including aphids and Japanese beetles. It is extracted from the seeds of the neem tree, is nontoxic to pets and humans, and works by disrupting the life cycle of insects and acting as a deterrent. It's biodegradable and can be found at many garden stores or natural foods markets. You can use it preventatively by spraying plants before they're infested.

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Natural Predators

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Using natural predators, like ladybugs and birds, can effectively control pests on your farm. Ladybugs eat aphids, keeping their population in check, while birds, attracted by nesting boxes and feeders, help manage insect populations naturally.

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Vegetable oil spray

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Vegetable oil spray is a homemade insecticide made from vegetable oil mixed with mild soap, such as Dr. Bronner's Castile soap. To make this, thoroughly mix one cup of vegetable oil with one tablespoon of soap, then add two teaspoons of this mixture to one quart of water when ready to apply. Shake thoroughly and spray directly on the plants. The oil suffocates insects by blocking their breathing pores.

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Soap spray

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Soap spray is another homemade Insecticide similar to oil spray, effective against spider mites, aphids, mealybugs, and more. Mix one and one-half teaspoons of mild liquid soap with one quart of water, and spray directly on the affected plants. Apply this in the evenings or early mornings to keep it from burning your plants in the hot sun.

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Chilli spray

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Chilli spray is a natural insect repellent made from fresh hot peppers or chili powder. For chili powder, mix one tablespoon with one quart of water and a few drops of mild soap. For fresh peppers, blend a half-cup with one cup of water, add one quart of water, boil, cool, strain, and add soap. Spray this mixture on the plants to repel various pests.

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