Home Made Insecticides

[palmislandRandy]

For spot treating, I use a tablespoon or so of Murphy's Oil Soap in a quart spray bottle of water. It seems to knock back mealybugs, aphids & ants on in ground palms (or maybe I'm just drowning 'em). Coffees been discussed, so any other home made brews?? Something that can be mixed in small batches for spot spraying & also for scale? Randy

[_Keith]

Neem oil, Pyrethrin, Diatomaceous Earth

[PalmatierMeg]

I've started brewing a second pot of coffee from my used beans, then adding some of the weaker brew to my gallon pressure sprayer along with water. I spray/water my potted seedlings with that to knock back fungus gnats, scale and mealybugs. I keep my coffee stash in the fridge to keep it fresh. I've also heard that tea serves the same purpose and contains nutrients that boost growth. I'm thinking of trying something similar with some chamomile teabags I have.

I like the Murphy's soap idea.

[palmislandRandy]

Heres a bunch of ideas http://www.firstrays.com/remedies.htm Anyone tried any of these???? I'm not too sure about spraying isopropyl alcohol directly on palms!

Randy

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Thanks for the link Randy! Just noticed some little critters in and around my new veggie compots. I didn't wanna use the harsh nasty systemics that I would be more apt to use on ornamentals...

[MattyB]

I tried Diatomaceous Earth in my spray bottle but it clogged it up. So I just sprinkle it around now.

My new experiment is diluted laundry detergent. I take the bottle of laundry detergent when it's all used up and add water back into the bottle. I now have a pre-made diluted soapy solution that I pour into my spray bottle as needed. It doesn't hurt the leaves and seems to knock back the bugs just as good as the chemicals.

[_Keith]

I've started brewing a second pot of coffee from my used beans, then adding some of the weaker brew to my gallon pressure sprayer along with water. I spray/water my potted seedlings with that to knock back fungus gnats, scale and mealybugs. I keep my coffee stash in the fridge to keep it fresh. I've also heard that tea serves the same purpose and contains nutrients that boost growth. I'm thinking of trying something similar with some chamomile teabags I have.

I like the Murphy's soap idea.

Actually Chamomile tea is a good anit-fungal. It will definitely help with seedlings damping off.

[_Keith]

I tried Diatomaceous Earth in my spray bottle but it clogged it up. So I just sprinkle it around now.

My new experiment is diluted laundry detergent. I take the bottle of laundry detergent when it's all used up and add water back into the bottle. I now have a pre-made diluted soapy solution that I pour into my spray bottle as needed. It doesn't hurt the leaves and seems to knock back the bugs just as good as the chemicals.

I have a duster, originally bought to use with Sevin dust, works great and will spread DE like there's no tomorrow.

[peachy]

Gardeners here swear by white oil but it costs a bit to buy. It can be made by using 2 cups of any cooking oil to 10 cups of water and a few drops of dishwashing detergent. Supposed to be good for using on scale, sooty mould and aphids, applied by spraying. Now while not exactly an insecticide, more like toadicide, plain Dettol in a spray bottle is a good way to kill cane toads if you are too squeamish to clobber them then break their necks....ugh....a few squirts on the offender and next morning you will have the very best kind of toads....dead ones.

Peachy

[Xenon]

Does mouthwash work?

-Jonathan

[John in Andalucia]

I tried Diatomaceous Earth in my spray bottle but it clogged it up. So I just sprinkle it around now.

My new experiment is diluted laundry detergent. I take the bottle of laundry detergent when it's all used up and add water back into the bottle. I now have a pre-made diluted soapy solution that I pour into my spray bottle as needed. It doesn't hurt the leaves and seems to knock back the bugs just as good as the chemicals.

You need some bellows, Matt.

I use an insecticide for citrus trees, since they are magnets for just about every type of bug.

[rozpalm]

Neem oil. I swear I am going to buy a tree this year and see if they really do run off most flying bugs like I have read. Anyone have one?

[GTClover]

I love this Thread! I really do try and stay away from chemicals, but this winter's spider mite infestation in some favorite potted Cordylines had me going thermo-nuclear. Here is the sequence of events:

I treated all my outdoor plants with insecticidal soap containing Neem oil 3Xs over 3 weeks prior to bringing them in for the cold season (Oct-May:(). Everybody looked fine for the first couple of weeks till I found the dreaded webby things that meant trouble:angry:. I was quick to isolate the victims (all Cordyline) an proceeded to try and kill the buggers. Here's more or less how it went from my 'New' journal:

Cordyline

Spent winter treating them (3) with various Chemicals weekly started with 70%IPA NG ~4 weeks;

then IPA + Insectacidle soap ~4 weeks NG;

followed by Red Spider & mite spray NG- 0.02% pyrethrins, 0.02% pipernonyl Butoxide 1X as I used up a spray bottle with 1 treatment - Need concentrate

Bonide 8 Insect control 2.5% permethrin; 1X in H2O, 3X with 70% IPA,

Then I found a 'Systemic' treatment purported to be useful: ~0.2% Imidacloprid. Gave it 3 weeks to take effect. No return on 2 plants, but back on #3!

I finally found the one thing I was pretty sure would work, but hadn't located it yet Horticultural Oil or Dormant oil or perhaps the same as White Oil, Peachy!

Now they are totally gone just in time to bring them back Outside!!

Now this is not at all scientific as the cure could be due to any # of combination of the above but you can be sure I'll stare with something oil based. Murphy's (is he responsible for all these Laws I thwarted with every day?), Horticultural oil with a dose of coffee for both me and the plants!

Susan

Edited May 7, 2010 by GTClover

[bayside mike]

Any kind of oil that is not petroleum based should kill scale and meeley bug. Citrus, fish, ultra fine oils.

It makes them not able to move or something like that.