21 Natural & Homemade Pesticides That Work

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.
5. 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.

6. Onion Insect Repellent

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.

7. 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.

8. Epsom Salt Formula

2 ounces of salt

2 gallons water

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

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

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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).

16. 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).

17. 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.
18. Neem Solution
1 TBS Neem soap (shavings)

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

19. Mineral Oil Spritz

3 parts oil per 100 parts water

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

20. Easy Solution

2 TBS soap flakes (avoid detergents)

dissolved in 1 quart water

Benefits: Aphid control

21. Pest Prevention Concentrate

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.

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

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

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

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.