This was my first year of growing damask roses. In the past, I grew double knock out roses which were hardy and simply laughed at the pests and the elements. I wasn’t prepared for the amount of insects that adore Damask roses. I watched in horror as sawflies and spider mites attacked the plants, I got busy making a nontoxic garden bug spray to send a message that they were not welcome. Now, this spray is my new weapon against general pest problems.
It can be yours too! (Note, this spray will not control sawfly larvae. Neem or light horticultural oil will.)
Homemade Pest Spray for the Following Insects:
My version is similar to insecticidal soap which kills the following soft bodied pests such as :
- Aphids
- Scale
- Eggs and pupae of other insects
- Mealy bugs
- Immature leafhoppers
- Immature white flies
- Spider mites
- Thrips
Colorado State University Extension notes that Japanese Beetles and boxelder bugs are susceptible. However they further note,
“Lady beetles, green lacewings, pollinating bees and most other beneficial insects are not very susceptible to soap sprays. Predatory mites, often important in control of spider mites, are an exception: a beneficial group of organisms easily killed by soaps.”
Here is the following recipe to use to deter pests. I adapted my recipe from HERE.
Before You Spray:
First–test a small portion of the plant with a little spray to see how the plant reacts. Wait 24 hours. Soap and oil can burn the plants’ leaves.
The following plants according to the Clemson Extension are sensitive to soap based sprays:
- Portulaca
- certain tomato varieties
- Conifers in drought conditions
- Bluish colored plants. (They may lose their color.)
- Hawthorn
- Sweet pea
- Cherries
- Plums
- Horse Chestnut
- Mountain Ash
- Japaneses Maple
- Bleeding Heart
- Maidenhair Fern
- Crown of Thorns
- Lantanas
- Gardenias
- Eastern Lillies
- Nasturtiums
- Azaleas
- Begonia
- Fuchsias
- Geraniums
- Impatients
If you see browning in a few hours, rinse with cool water.
Second–Only spray when the temperature is below 90 degrees. I spray early in the morning. I take an extra precaution two hours later, I rinse with water so that the soap doesn’t burn the plants.
Third–Be sure to get both the tops and the undersides of the leaves. Pests hide under leaves.
Nontoxic Garden Bug Spray Recipe
- A Gallon Container. (A vinegar container works great.)
- 4 Tablespoon of non-toxic dish washing soap. I used Dr. Bronner Peppermint Castille soap. (Peppermint repels bugs.)
- 2 Tablespoons of oil to help to get the spray to stick to the leaves. I used olive oil.
- 1 teaspoon of red pepper (optional) to keep other bugs away
- Distilled water
Why distilled water? The Clemson Extentsion notes that hard water can affect the effectiveness of the soap.
“Calcium, magnesium and iron cause the fatty acids to precipitate out of the solution causing the soap to be ineffective. It is important to use the purest water possible. You can determine if your tap water is compatible by mixing the recommended concentration of soap that you want to use with the appropriate amount of water in a glass jar. Agitate and let the mixture stand for 15 minutes. If the mix remains uniform and milky, the water quality is fine for the spray. If there is a scum on the surface, you should use distilled or bottled water.”
Mix up all the ingredients and pour them into the container. Then add water up to the top of the container.
I add the contents to a backpack sprayer if I am spraying many plants. (I use one similar to this one.)
I repeat every 4 to 7 days until I don’t see any more pests.
Why Does it Work?
According to the Clemson Extension:
“While it is not completely understood how the soaps work, they appear to disrupt the cellular membranes of the insect. They may also remove protective waxes that cover the insect, resulting in dehydration. Insecticidal soaps are also an effective leaf wash to remove honeydew, sooty mold and other debris from leaves.”
Join the conversation
How do you keep bugs in your garden at bay?
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Betsy (Eco-novice) says
July 4, 2015 at 1:46 amLove the simple ingredients! I would feel totally comfortable using this where my kids play.
Renee Kohley says
July 7, 2015 at 2:58 pmThis is neat! Thank you! Any ideas for something for Japanese beetles?? The are eating all my raspberry leaves 🙁
Mindy Benkert says
July 7, 2015 at 3:07 pmWhat a simple recipe! Can’t wait to try this. Thanks for sharing!
Dawn says
July 7, 2015 at 3:15 pmThis will be a great help in my garden this summer. And thanks for the tip to use it early in the morning when it’s cool! I’d hate to burn my babies!
MarJorie @ this is so good... says
July 7, 2015 at 3:34 pmThank you for sharing this. I had white flies and aphids last year and they destroyed the garden! Pinned!
lynn says
July 7, 2015 at 4:44 pmI keep my garden pests away by not gardening. Seriously. I would kill more plants than bugs.
Lindsay says
July 7, 2015 at 4:48 pmI’ve been looking for something like this Anna! Actually I have a HUGE fruit fly problem in my apartment and don’t want to stop buying fruits and vegetables. I’m going to search your blog to see if you have some handy solution to fruit flies too!
Anna@Green Talk says
July 7, 2015 at 9:42 pmI put a glass of apple cider vinegar out and they love it. They go swimming and never dry off.
I started putting inside the compost bucket which actually helped alot more.
Carol says
July 7, 2015 at 5:04 pmGreat ideas. Use a similar recipe myself. Works well.
Just checking. When you say “these plants are sensitive to the spray”, are you saying that they respond well to it.. or that they can be affected and we need to be extra careful.
I think you mean the latter idea, but want to check!
THanks!!
Anna@Green Talk says
July 7, 2015 at 9:41 pmCarol, what is your recipe? I mean they would be affected by this spray. Anna
Betsy (Eco-novice) says
July 7, 2015 at 8:59 pmLove this ingredient list. I would feel absolutely comfortable using this where my children play, unlike most stuff you can buy in the store.
Sara says
July 8, 2015 at 12:02 amI agree with you, Betsy! Since my boys always seem to make their way into gardens and touching plants I’d feel good about this spray.
Sylvie says
July 8, 2015 at 4:58 amI’ve used soapy water before but was missing the oil and red pepper!
Anne says
July 10, 2015 at 3:09 pmAlways appreciate another pest spray recipe to try. I have also used plain water with that same peppermint castile soap. Will make it another time with the oil, thanks!
Lynn schwartz says
July 11, 2015 at 1:25 pmAnna, I use a similar solution I got from Jerry Baker and his newsletter. It uses baby shampoo, instead of dish soap, and mouthwash, and steeped tobacco juice. Nicotine is an insecticide, the mouthwash is an anti fungal, and the shampoo acts as a sticking age and soap. It is very gentle and I spray it on most of my plants and grass, after 5:00 in the evening when it is cooler and the bees are gone for the night.
Anna@Green Talk says
July 16, 2015 at 9:45 pmLynn, tobacco juice and mouthwash. Well, that is a new one on me. Anna
Mildred Bessette says
April 21, 2016 at 4:33 amThis is a neat and simple idea. not only that, all the materials are commonly found in the house. I’ll make sure to take note on this and try this at home. thanks for sharing!
Morgan says
June 6, 2016 at 2:26 pmWow, you give a lot of really helpful tips here! Pests and bug infestations can be very agitating, especially when you’re working on an outdoor project like this. Natural solutions like you provide here can really help drive them out and keep them out in the future. Nice work! Thanks for sharing!
Maryann Vines says
August 12, 2016 at 3:05 amHello Anna, I love your recipe for terminating bug and pest in the garden, Thank you so much my mom will love this.
Ruby Frank says
September 14, 2016 at 10:46 pmHi Anna, I saw your article talking about nontoxic pest garden spray and I love your recipe because it’s simple but definitely effective to eliminate those pests, hopefully this will applicable to the garden of vegetables, Moreover, I am glad I found this brilliant information! Thank you so much!