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Home Remedies
Alternative Pest Control
These pest control solutions can be made from ingredients commonly found around the home. They are less toxic than many commercial preparations; to the soil, other organisms and you, the user.
Aphids or mites
100g chopped garlic bulbs
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons liquid detergent
½ litre water
Soak garlic in oil for 24 hours. Mix detergent with water and add to the garlic mixture. Stir well, strain into a lidded glass jar, label as an insecticide and refrigerate. To make up the spray, dilute 5ml of mixture in 1 litre of water. Spray directly on to the pest.
Sap-Sucking Insects
Apply soapy water directly on to the pest. Repeat as required.
Snails
Place saucers of beer near seedlings and other plants that are susceptible to snail attack. The snails are attracted to the smell of the beer. They consume it, become drunk, fall into the saucer and drown. Snails don’t like to get their foot dirty! They tend not to travel over some substances such as:
Shell grit
Hair cuttings or
Sawdust
Sprinkle them around the base of seedlings and other snail delicacies to keep the snails out.
Cabbage Moth
The caterpillars that hatch from cabbage moth eggs can eat a whole row of vegetable seedlings to the ground overnight! To stop cabbage moths laying eggs on your vegie seedlings, scatter empty eggshell halves amongst your cabbages, broccoli, brussels sprouts and any other crops that get eaten by cabbage moth caterpillars. These territorial moths mistake the eggshells for other cabbage moths and leave the area.
Weeds
Boiling water will kill weeds if you pour it directly onto them. Take care not to get the water on the plants you want to keep in your garden though, as it will affect those too. This method is especially useful for paving cracks if all the plants between the pavers are weeds.
Blackspot on Roses
1 litre skim milk
1 litre soapy water
Spray on foliage every couple of weeks or so.
Powdery Mildew
4 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
50 ml white oil
4 litres water
Spray foliage as required.
Full-cream milk sprayed onto the affected leaves will kill the fungus, and recent research suggests that potassium bicarbonate, rather than the kitchen variety bi-carb of soda is much more efficient. Click here to view the Powdery Mildew information page.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Please take care with spraying and storing these preparations, especially with regard to children and pets. The strength of ingredients varies noticeably particularly in regard to garlic. These home remedies are designed to have a minimal impact on the environment, but no solution that is intended to kill should be regarded as safe.
For more information refer to our other helpful information sheets on Companion Planting and Pest Control.
Click here to return to the list of info pages
The information contained on this page is Copyright © SGA and intended for personal use only.
You may not use the information for any other purpose without the express written permission of SGA.
