If you’re in need of a quick and simple solution to help with pest control in your garden, you might want to consider an age-old solution instead of driving to the store for an off-the-shelf insecticide. Yup, we’re talking about soapy water—the green, safer way to eliminate pests.
Saving you money and delivering a sense of fulfillment, mixing your own insecticidal soap solution is a simple, easy, and effective way to deal with a large variety of insects. Here’s how:
- 1. Grab a clean spray bottle
- 2. Thoroughly mix one tablespoon of dish soap (that does not have fragrances or moisturizers) per quart of water. If you use too much dish soap, plants could be harmed. If you see spotting caused by your mixture, stop using and adjust your formula or use a different dish soap (just make sure it has fatty acids in it).
- 3. Use immediately on soft-bodied insects and arthropods such as aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, and whiteflies.
When you’re using a soapy water spray, make sure to spray it directly on the insects you’re trying to eliminate. It does not leave behind anything that controls pests after the initial spray. Insecticidal soap disrupts an insect’s cell membranes with fatty acids and causes them to dehydrate and die. It’s an environmentally friendly way to control pests (and organic if you choose the right dish soap), and it has a low mammalian toxicity which means it’s safe around children and pets.
