Natural Insecticides

Non-poisonous insecticides are a boon for people with pets and children, and for gardeners growing fruits and vegetables. Natural pesticides also are great for those who do not want to walk around in and smell poisonous fumes on their properties.

Here are some tonic recipes from master gardener Jerry Baker from his book Backyard Problem Solver (American Master Products, Inc., 2002) that will help any gardener beat back those bugs.

All-Purpose Bug and Thug Spray

This is the tonic for right now, early to late spring, as insects are becoming active.

• 3 Tbs. of baking soda
• 3 Tbs. of Murphy’s Oil Soap
• 2 Tbs. of canola oil
• 2 Tbs. of vinegar
• 2 gal. of warm water

Mix all ingredients together in a hand-held spray bottle and mist plants until they are dripping wet.

Knock ‘Em Dead Insect Spray

• 6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tbs. of cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbs. of liquid dish soap

Mix all ingredients in one quart of warm water and let the mixture sit overnight. Strain, pour the liquid into a hand-held spray bottle, and spray insects on plant leaves. It might be helpful to first spray the plants with water so that insects will gather on the undersides of leaves or else fall to the ground.

Whitefly Wipeout Tonic

Whiteflies are small flying insects that attach to a number of plants, including cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, basil, ageratum, calendula, salvias, and geraniums. Leaves often will fall from plants that are infested with these particular pests.

• 1 cup of sour milk (let it stand out for two days)
• 2 Tbs. of flour
• 1 quart of warm water

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and put into a hand-held spray bottle. Spray the mixture over any plants that are troubled with whiteflies.

Lethal Weapon

• 3 Tbs. of garlic and onion juice (recipe below)
• 3 Tbs. of skim milk
• 2 Tbs. of baby shampoo
• 1 tsp. of Tabasco sauce
• 1 gallon of water

Mix all ingredients together in a bucket and pour into a 20-gallon hose-end sprayer. Spray on plants every 10 days.

To make garlic-and-onion juice, chop two cloves of garlic and two medium onions. Blend in a blender with three cups of water, strain, and use remaining liquid. Freeze any extra for future use.

Mosquito Lemon Aid

For those who live in mosquito-infested areas, this formula is an effective way to clear out those clouds of mosquitoes, plus it leaves a clean scent behind.

• 1 cup of lemon-scented ammonia
• 1 cup of lemon-scented dish soap

Put these ingredients into a 20-gallon hose-end sprayer and spray down the entire yard three times a week, preferably early in the morning or late in the evening. Also, these ingredients can be put in hand-held spray bottles and misted around specific areas.

Also remember that for the body, Avon’s Skin-So-Soft is known to be an effective mosquito repellent, as is lavender water. Basil repels flying bugs such as flies and mosquitoes, so pots of it around the patio not only smell great, but also serve as a barrier to bugs.

Ant Ambrosia

Ants serve a variety of important ecological purposes, but sometimes they can become annoying if they build a mound beside the walkway or trail into the house. Here is a formula that will not hurt children or pets, but will get rid of the ant problem.

• 4 to 5 Tbs. of cornmeal
• 3 Tbs. of bacon grease
• 3 Tbs. of baking powder
• 3 packages of baker’s yeast

Mix the cornmeal and bacon grease into a paste, then add the baking powder and yeast. Dab the mix on the sides of jar lids, and set them near bothersome anthills.

Other Natural Repellants

• Diatomaceous earth, a white powder made from fossils, is good for getting rid of a variety of pests, including fleas, snails and slugs. Sprinkle it on the ground or at the edge of baseboards in a house. It will not harm pets.

• Sparrows and other small songbirds will eat some pests, such as cabbage worms, so encourage birds to the garden by pushing branches at least four feet long into the soil around garden plants to give them a place to perch.

• Use precise planting to discourage insects from invading the garden. For example, to keep cutworms out, plant onions, garlic, or tansy among favourite targets, such as tomato seedlings and young bedding plants such as dianthus and pansies. Other complementary planting techniques include planting parsley, milkweed, and Queen Anne’s lace amongst garden plants to give butterfly larvae something to eat besides the harvest, and plant bright-colored flowers, such as the butterfly plant, lipstick plant, or yellow bells, to attract adult butterflies.

• Other cutworm chasers can be sprinkled on the ground around plant stems, and they include chicken manure, eggshells, hair, and wood ashes.

• Grapefruit rinds make effective traps for cutworms and other garden pests. Scrape out the insides of the rinds and leave them around the garden at night. The next morning, scoop up the rind and any insects in it and burn them or drop them into hot soapy water.

A variety of natural, safe ingredients are probably close at hand for creating effective insecticides to keep gardens and outdoor areas pest-free and safe for children and pets.