These homemade pesticides are cheap and easy to make with many being just as effective as some commercial products on the market. No fancy items required, everything you need is likely stocked in your kitchen and garden. Most of the ingredients are earth friendly and natural–no more toxic chemicals!

Tip: The best method of pest control in the garden is to keep your plants healthy so they don’t attract bugs. Fertilize as needed (see How To Make Compost Tea) and stay on top of weeds by pulling them as they appear or using weed killers (see Homemade Weed Killer Recipes & Tips).

Begin treating for insects as soon as you notice signs of an infestation, the sooner you start the easier it will be to get rid of the critters.

Update: As with all pesticides, take care when applying to food bearing plants, as well as handling and storage of the solution. No one needs reminding I’m sure, but wash all produce well before consuming.

DIY Recipes & Brews

Note: For batches that request liquid dish detergent, all that’s required is the basic stuff–nothing fancy with added bleach, nothing concentrated and no special antibacterial formulas. You can also substitute with something gentler such as castile or a perfume free, gentle hand soap.

Rhubarb Solution

1 C. rhubarb leaves*

1/4 C. liquid dish detergent or soap flakes

Cover rhubarb leaves with 6.5 cups water and bring to a boil. Boil for 20 minutes then remove from heat and cool. Strain then add 1/4 cup soap. Good for aphids, june beetles, spider mites, thrips.

*These are poisonous, take care when preparing and handling. Do not use on food bearing varieties.

Garlic Tea

Make your own spritz by boiling a pint of water, throw in roughly chopped garlic cloves and steep until the batch cools. Strain.

Garlic, Peppers & Onion Insecticide

2 hot peppers

1 large onion

1 whole bulb of garlic

Toss in the food processor and add 1/4 cup water, blend until a mash is made. Cover mash with 1 gallon hot (not boiling) water and let stand 24 hours. Strain. Spritz on roses, azaleas, vegetables to kill bug infestations. Bury mash in ground where bugs are heaviest. Good for thrips, aphids, grasshoppers, chewing and sucking insects.

Tomato Brew

Crush leaves* from a tomato plant and soak in water for a couple days. Strain. Good for grasshopper and white fly control.

These are poisonous, take care when preparing and handling. Do not use on food bearing varieties.

Basil Tea

1 C. fresh basil (or 2 TBS dried)

1 tsp liquid dish detergent

Bring 4 cups water to a boil then add basil. Remove from heat, cover and steep until cool. Strain. Mix in the soap. Good for aphids.

Onion Insect Repellent

*First published May 18, 2007 and moved to this page for better organization

Save onion skins, peels and ends then refrigerate in an empty margarine-sized tub or ziploc bag until the container is full.

Once you have enough, place the pieces in a pail and fill with warm water. Soak for a few days, up to a week. Optional: You can keep this on the patio in the sun to steep.

After one week, strain the bits out and store the batch in spray bottles. Bury the onion bits around vegetation that are prone to aphids, spiders and other pests.

Spray both house and garden plants to fight aphids and pests.

*You could also toss in your garlic trimmings with the onion pieces, bugs hate garlic too.

Salt Spritz

2 TBS salt

Combine salt with 1.5 gallons water to dissolve, allow to cool to room temperature. Good for spider mites, caterpillars, cabbage worms and chewing critters.

Epsom Salt Formula

2 ounces of salt

2 gallons water

Benefits: Helps with Black Spot, Mildew, Wilt and Rust

Slug Bait Trap

Set out beer in shallow containers to attract slugs, they’ll drown in the beer. See more tips on this page.

Diatomaceous Earth

An all natural solution for insects of all kinds (ants, snails, slugs, etc.). Sprinkle diatomaceous earth on top of soil around vegetation with pest problems.

Horticultural Oil Mix

1 TBS vegetable oil

1 tsp liquid dish detergent

2 C. water

Fill a spray bottle with the ingredients then shake well.

Pepper Recipe

1/2 C. hot peppers (or 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper)

1 tsp liquid dish detergent

Bring 1 quart water to a boil, remove from heat and add peppers. Cover and steep until cool. Strain then add soap. If using cayenne pepper, no need to bring to a boil first.

Citrus Spritz

2 C. orange peels (or lemons)

Bring 4 cups water to a boil, remove from heat and add peels. Cover and steep until cool. Strain. Ideal for repelling white flies.

Soapy Baking Soda

2 TBS liquid dish detergent

2 TBS baking soda

1 gallon water

Combine all ingredients together and it’s ready to go.

Peppermint Tea

1 TBS peppermint essential oil (an infusion made with mint leaves is also suitable, increase amount to 1 cup infusion)

1 quart water

Combine ingredients and treat as an insect spray (terrific for ants).

Japanese Beetle Bait Trap

2 C. water

1 mashed banana

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. wine

1/2 tsp yeast

Mix ingredients together and put in an old margarine container, cover with lid and set out in the sun for a day. When ready, remove lid and set in garden where the beetles have been spotted (select a shallow container).

Potato Tea

1 C. potato plant leaves*

Chop then cover with 2 cups hot water. Seal container and set aside for 24 hours in a sunny window. Strain.

These are poisonous, take care when preparing and handling. Do not use on food bearing varieties.

Neem Solution

1 TBS Neem soap (shavings)

Add to 1 liter water then let sit for an hour. Shake then it’s ready.

Mineral Oil Spritz

3 parts oil per 100 parts water

Benefits: Helps with Aphids, Codling Moth, Leaf Roller, Mealybugs, Scaled Insects, White Fly

Easy Solution

2 TBS soap flakes (avoid detergents)

dissolved in 1 quart water

Benefits: Aphid control

Pest Prevention Concentrate

*First published February 1, 2008 and moved to this page for better organization

Here’s a short and sweet recipe for both garden and houseplants. You can use this as a preventative spray as well as a bug and pest killer.

1 C. Sunlight dish soap

1 TBS vegetable oil

Directions:

Mix ingredients together then store in a plastic, airtight container.

Ratio: Take 1 to 2 teaspoons of the concentrate and mix with a quart of water. Pour into a spray bottle.

When applying make sure to get underneath the leaves as well as the flower buds and new shoots.

In hot weather, repeat every third day (3 applications over one week).

Warm to cool weather, treat once a week for 3 weeks.

Tips

Apply the chosen formula on top of the leaves as well as underneath–don’t overdo it, excess can cause damage.

Most recipes are effective as a weekly treatment. Excessive use may affect vegetation as well as kill the beneficial creepers you want to encourage in your garden (earthworms, bees, ladybugs, etc.). If you aren’t seeing results with a 7 day treatment, you can bump it up to 5 but watch carefully to make sure plants can handle it without being damaged.

Avoid treating during hot sunny weather, do so later in the day to reduce the risk of burning.

If it looks like rain, delay until the weather is clear since any rain will wash away the new application. If it has recently rained, wait till greenery is dry before applying to prevent the mix being diluted with rain.

When trying a new solution, test on just a couple leaves first (apply then watch how they react after two or three days, if no signs of damage proceed with spraying).

Organic Aids

*First published June 5, 2007 and moved to this page for better organization

With a little bit of planning you can help cut down on pests and disease organically by growing natural repellents near problem areas. Here are a few suggestions…

Rosemary, Mint, Thyme: Grow near cabbage

Benefits: Repels cabbage worms

Nasturtiums: Position near cucumbers, melons and squashes.

Benefits: Repels squash bugs

Summer Savory: Position near beans

Benefits: Repels bean beetles

Radishes: Grow near cucumbers

Benefits: Repels cucumber beetles