Repellants

     Plant basil to repel whiteflies, aphids, and mosquitoes. Rosemary repels certain moths and beetles. Marigolds smell like skunk and therefore repel most everything.

 

Dust Buster

     Yep, sometimes I use a vacuum to control bugs. If the invaders are of a type that can be knocked

off easily, they can usually be vacuumed away. It sounds weird, but it’s pretty effective, especially stink bug nymphs. Be careful not to gobble up blossoms and small fruit in the process.

 

Beneficial Insects

     Lady bugs are more effective in their larval stage because they are hungrier and can’t fly away. Adult Lady bugs don’t like to be tied down. They’re kind of foot-loose-and-fancy-free. To help motivate them to stick around, paint a piece of cardboard a sunny shade of Safety Yellow and slather on a coat of honey. Place it near your produce and plant dwarf zinnias. The ladies like the sweet stuff.

     Parasitic wasp larva are tiny and live inside host insects, because they’re parasites. There they feed until... well, you know. Interesting fact: Even parasites can have parasites! Isn’t that ironic?

 

Water

   Many times, a strong flow of water is enough to discourage garden pests. Aphids and their ilk often can be washed off the leaves and most of them drown in the process. This means a stream of water strong enough to dislodge the critters, but not so violent as to blast the leaves, blossoms, and fruit off in the process. 

     Somewhat effective with the early appearance on aphids, whiteflies, thrips, and powdery mildew, though repeated applications are usually required. Some plants don’t do well with wet leaves. Make sure your plants have enough airflow around them to dry out.

 

Soapy Water

     A number of gardeners swear by this method: Add a couple drops of ordinary liquid dishwashing soap to a quart of water in a spray bottle. Apply directly to insects in question. Basically, it drowns the insects. Soap residue is said to help repel future infestations. Try Ivory. Rinse. Repeat.

 

Milk

     Got Powdery Mildew? For all of you with PM issues, and you know who you are, here is an old school technique that actually works! Mix 1 part milk with 9 parts of water and apply with a spray applicator directly to the affected area. Repeated applications are likely to be needed. 

This is so effective that it’s being employed by commercial organic grape growers.

 

Neem Oil

     Neem is an extract from an evergreen tree native to the Indian subcontinent. It has a bitter taste and smells a little like sulfur/garlic. It’s sometimes used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat a variety of conditions. I can’t recommend any of those treatments because I’m not an Ayurvedic practitioner and I don’t play one on TV.

     I can, however, recommend Neem as a fairly safe and effective organic insecticide/pesticide for your gardening and household needs. It’s primary pesticidal component is Azadirachtin, which is believed to control pests both by repelling them and interfering with their ability to feed, grow and reproduce. 

     Purchase ready-to-use and follow the recommendations on the bottle. Rinse produce thoroughly before eating. It’s effective on aphids, ants, thrips, mealy worms, whiteflies, leafminers, mites, nematodes, caterpillars, and powdery mildew and rust. Repeated applications are usually required but allow a few days to a week between uses. 

     There is some evidence of a link with neem used internally as medicine and liver damage in children. It’s probably best for children, pregnant women, or those trying to conceive to avoid neem products.

 

Insecticidal Soap

     These soaps are not to be confused with soapy water. This is a solution of potassium fatty acids that disrupt the structural integrity of cell membranes belonging to soft-bodied insects. Must be applied in a manner that achieves direct contact with the offenders. Works on thrips, aphids, spider-mites, etc. Low mammalian toxicity but smells kind of funny in an unfunny way. May need repeated applications.

 

Bt

      If something is chewing large, gaping holes in your foliage, you most likely have them. Caterpillars. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is your go-to treatment of choice here and it is available in most plant nurseries and online. Organic and reportedly safe for all species. Except caterpillars.

 

Rotenone

     This is a naturally occuring substance found in stems, seeds, and roots from plants from several different plants. Used as a non-selective insecticide, pesticide, and piscicide (fish poison). It works by interefering with the electron transport chain of mitochondria. Some U.S. health studies have shown a link between rotenone use and Parkinson's disease in farm workers.  I am not a fan.

 

DIY Homemade organic bug sprays:

 

Garlic Spray

     Crush 4 cloves of garlic into 1 tsp of mineral oil. Let stand for 24 hours. Pour the mixture through a fine strainer or cheesecloth into 1 pint of water. Add 1 tsp of liquid dish soap. This is your concentrate. Add 2 tsp of mixture to 1 pint of water in a spray bottle to apply directly to your plants. Apply sparingly. If sprayed leaves turn yellow, try diluting the mixture. This will kill beneficial insects as well so don't spray this if you're using lady bugs or parasitic wasps. Rinse your crops before eating. Contains sulfur which is said to be anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and toxic to pests.

 

Tomato Leaf Tea (NOT recommended over ice on a sunny day)

     Combine 1 cup of coarse-chopped tomato leaves with 8 ounces of water. Let stand 12 to 24 hours. Strain the leaves and discard. Dilute the tea with 16 ounces of water and apply to  infested plants with a spray bottle. This is an alkaloid poison that is toxic to little buggers, yet safe for plants and humanoids. Repeat as needed.

 

Summary

     My best advice is inspect your plants often. It’s much easier to eradicate a few bugs than a major infestation so you need to be diligent. If you mix up your own solutions, don’t save any leftovers. Avoid using sprays and beneficial insects at the same time because you will lay waste to the good guys. Rinse produce before eating and in case I didn’t mention it earlier, you may need to repeat applications.