If you are trying to control insects in your yard and garden, try one of these homemade bug spray recipes.
Insects can quickly take over a garden and getting rid of them can run a hefty bill while dousing your harvest in chemicals. You can make many insect repellents for your garden at home for a fraction of the cost without all of the chemicals you do not want around your family. Match one of the DIY insecticides below to your need to help eliminate pests from your home garden.
5 Homemade Bug Spray Recipes
Homemade Pyrethrum Spray Recipe
Insects like aphids and thrips eat away at your garden literally sucking the life out of your plants.
Ingredients:
- ⅔ cup powdered pyrethrum flowers
- 1 gallon water
- 4-5 drops Dawn dish detergent
Instructions: Collect pyrethrum flowers and dry them in the oven on the lowest setting. Store in an airtight container and grind as needed to make a powder. Mix water and powdered pyrethrum together in a jug and shake well. Filter through a reusable coffee filter or flour sack towel. Add soap and spray the plants well in the evening or early morning. If you have outdoor allergies, wear a dust mask while working with pyrethrum powder.
Homemade Leaf Miner Spray Recipe
If you find winding trails in your plants leaves you can get rid of the cause by smothering the leaf miners. You can alter the quantities, but keep the ratio of 2 parts molasses to 6 parts water.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup Molasses
- 1 1/2 cups water
Instructions: Combine the molasses and water in spray bottle. Shake well before using and pray on any plants affected by leaf miners.
Ammonia Bug Spray Recipe
Ammonia can help control aphids and whiteflies. You can alter the quantities, but keep the ratio of 1 part ammonia to 8 parts water.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup Ammonia
- 2 cups water
Instructions: Combine the ammonia and water in a spray bottle. Shake well before using. Apply gently in a test area and wait overnight to see if it burns the plant. If the plant is doing well the next evening treat the plant with this spray.
Homemade Insecticidal Soap Recipe
You can use this recipe just like commercial insecticidal soaps.
Ingredients:
- ⅛ cup baking soda
- 3 to 4 drops original Dawn dish detergent or castile soap
- 2 cups water
Instructions: Mix well and spray infected plants liberally. Be sure to spray in the evening to prevent the sun from burning your plants.
Hot Pepper Bug Spray Recipe
This helps keep bugs away as well as unwanted animals such as cats, dogs, and rabbits. Wear gloves while working with this one.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup pureed hot peppers
- 2 cups water
Instructions: Mix the peppers and water in a spray bottle. Shake well and apply around the areas you want to protect for about a week straight. The bugs and animals you are trying to keep away will lose interest and stop coming around.
Let us know which of these homemade bug spray recipes you have used and share your results with us.
More Homemade Pest Control
Using Ladybugs to Naturally Eliminate Aphids
Natural Ways to Get Rid of Wasps
How to Make a Homemade Earwig Trap
Chris says
Are these safe for bees?
Rick says
Oh, yes. I use these concocctions all the time. The ammonia and vinegar solution cause the bee to stay away until they dicipate and the flowers have been rained on. A bee is a tough, resilent insect. None of these natural, biodegradable solutions harm bees. Commercial pesticides are the problems with bees and butterflies and lady bugs. None of these will harm any beneficial insect in your garden. Just don’t spray any of these directly on a butterfly. Any thing other than water will degrade the silk on there wings.
Rick says
Some of these are mold inhibitors, which decrease white flies as they secrete a honeydew that encourages mold and mildew to propagate. I never like to kill ladybugs either. They are so beneficial to the health of your flora. One ladybug will eat 10 affids per day. Mantis and walking sticks are good to have around too. Any insect with a stiff cuticle are little affected by any of these ingriedients. Bees always shy away from vinegar until it’s odor has evaporated completely.