13 Organic DIY Pest Control Recipes

13 DIY Pest Control Recipes “Do Your Own Pest Control”

If you are a gardener, I bet you understand that there is nothing like having a home garden. It’s an incredibly humbling experience that makes you appreciate the everyday tribulations and trials that farmers who produce the food we eat go through.

From adverse climatic changes, pests, plant weeds, soil fertility challenges as well as plant diseases among other issues.

Home gardening gets even tougher when you opt for the organic gardening protocols. This is because, for you to put food on the table, you have to be patient and avoid all the quick fix harmful solutions.

The conventional chemicals-filled fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides may do the job but are all potentially dangerous to the local garden ecosystem.

Therefore, to maintain a healthy garden with massive harvests, there are some approaches that you need to consider. But the first step is to understand that knocking back pests in the yard has never been an easy task. It’s more of a never-ending battle with the armies of pests and bugs.

‘Pest control is a never-ending battle’ Pest-infested leaves.

Although this may be tough for most gardeners, the primary point when opting for the organic pest control is protecting our families and loved ones from the harsh chemicals and toxins that food production companies pump into plants.

And that is why organic gardening offers a better alternative to the chemical-filled pesticides by providing homemade pest control concussions.

For that reason, this article will present to you a list of the 13 best all-natural and organic DIY pest control recipes for your garden.

This will help you have natural control of pests without altering the ecosystems.

13 Organic DIY Pest Control Recipes

The major mistake that most gardeners do is; thinking that the natural and homemade organic pest control recipes have no harm to the soil, the garden or you as a person. Although the homemade pesticides are substances used to kill the pests, they could potentially have a significant alteration to the ecosystem.

Also, they could be harmful to animals, humans and other beneficial insects in the garden. Therefore, before going for any garden pest control recipes, it’s necessary that you do your homework right. You should ensure that you choose the useful yet less harmful homemade pesticides.

And the good news is we have already saved you all the hassle. That is because; below we present to you our hand-picked natural and homemade pesticides that could save your day.

⦁ Neem Oil
To many of us, neem is just an evergreen plant with vegetable oil that is derived from its seeds and fruits. However, to the Ancient Indian community, neem oil is highly revered as a powerful plant used to ward off pests from the garden.

In fact, it’s one of the most potent natural pesticides we have in our world today.
Neem oil is capable of disrupting insects that attack your garden during any stage of their life cycles.

May it be in the egg, larvae or adult stage. Also, it holds over 50 insecticides. Therefore, it effectively eliminates garden insect pests and can make a perfect addition as a fungicide too.

That is because besides preventing attacks from cabbage worms, nematodes, whiteflies, mealy bugs, aphids, thrips, beetles, mites, mushroom flies, fungus gnats among others it combats mildew and another fungus that may invade your plants.

A plant infested by thrips

Neem primarily works as a hormone distruptor as well as an anti-feed for insects that majorly feed on plant leaves. And the best part about using neem oil as a pesticide is that; it is non-toxic and biodegradable.

Therefore, it has no effects on fish, birds, and pets.
For best results from your neem oil recipe; ensure that you follow the steps below keenly;

⦁ Add ½ ounce of neem oil preferably high-quality organic type
⦁ Then add  ½ teaspoon of mild natural soap to the neem oil and mix
⦁ Add two quarts of warm water to the mixture
⦁ Stir the mixture thoroughly then pour it into a spray bottle
⦁ Ensure that you use the mixture immediately
NB; Avoid using the oil sprays on any plants that seem to have some kind of moisture stress as well as during very hot days.

⦁ Onion/ Garlic Spray
Garlic is a vegetable known for its strong pungent smell therefore in ancient times it was used in a wide variety of ways. However, the scent may be delectable or repellent to others, and it’s for this reason that it is a great natural insecticide.

Although to most people it’s not yet clear if garlic spray is a repellent or just a natural pesticide, the bottom line is; the vegetable can knock out a few insects in your home garden.

This may be the wireworms, beetles, whiteflies, aphids, caterpillars, ants, cabbage worms, mites and much more. Also, besides keeping the pests away; garlic kills most of the bacteria and fungus on your plants.

For best results; here’s how you should use your onion/garlic as a homemade pesticide.
⦁ Crush, mince or grate about 3.5 ounces of garlic
⦁ Mix the garlic into about 5 liters of water
⦁ Then add 5 ounces of mild organic, biodegradable soap
⦁ Using a strainer, strain the mixture
⦁ Add five liters of water to dilute the mixture then put it in a spray bottle
⦁ Use immediately for best results

The garlic/onion spray mixture uses the dially disulfide or dially trisulphide which has an irritating effect on most the invasive insects in the garden.

However, you should avoid using this mixture on a sunny day. This is because the oils in the spray may lead to foliage burns.

Eco Friendly Pest Control

⦁ Eucalyptus Oil
Eucalyptus is one of the best essential oils that can be used to ward off pests from your garden.

It is a great natural pesticide especially if your farm is infested with wasps, flies, and bees too.

To apply the eucalyptus oil, you simply need to add a few drops on the plant parts where you can see the pests.

And before you know it, they will all be gone.

⦁ Epsom Salt
The Epsom salt is a mineral compound that consists of sulfates and magnesium. For years now, this mineral compound has been used to get rid of pests from the garden.

This includes the slugs, Colorado potato beetles, snails among others. The best part about using the Epsom salt is that besides keeping away pests from your garden, it adds some mineral nutrients to the soil as well.

You can sprinkle the salts on plant leaves to keep off other pests like deer, rabbits, and groundhogs too. However, if you would like to make an Epsom salt spray, here’s how;

⦁ Add two tablespoons of the salt to one gallon of water
⦁ Mix the two thoroughly
⦁ Pour the mixture into your spray bottle

⦁ Pepper Spray
Just like the garlic spray, pepper makes a great addition in your garden if you are looking for all natural repellent for pests. Pepper spray can be used on a wide variety of pests therefore very reliable for low budget gardeners.

The spray is made from either the chili powder or the fresh peppers. It works by making your plants less tasty to the pests.

If the squirrels can’t let you rest easy, pepper spray will get the job done for you.

Therefore, if you are on a constant invasion by birds, squirrels, mice, bunnies, and deer, then you can use the pepper spray at least once a week.

The capsaicin content in the pepper makes the plants irritating to the animal pests and making them less tasteful. If you are planning on using chili powder, here’s how to go about it;

⦁ Take on a teaspoon of chili powder and mix it with 1 quart of water
⦁ Add a few drops of mild biodegradable soap
⦁ You can use the mixture full-strength on the leaf arts of the affected plants
To make the pepper spray from the fresh hot peppers, follow the steps below keenly;
⦁ Blend a half cup of pepper with a cup of water
⦁ Add one quart of water to the mixture then boil it
⦁ Let the mixture sit to cool down for a few minutes
⦁ Strain out the mixture using a strainer
⦁ Add a few drops of mild liquid soap
⦁ Use the pepper spray as desired on the affected plants

However, you need to be careful with chili spray too since it can be very potent on humans too. It is advisable that you use gloves when handling the hot peppers.

Also, ensure that the pepper spray doesn’t come in to contact with your nose, mouth, and eyes.

⦁ Tobacco Spray
Tobacco is a harmful substance to the human health and the same adverse effects on the pests too. Therefore, tobacco makes a great homemade pesticide that can be used to kill aphids, caterpillar, and other insects. To make the tobacco spray you should;

⦁ Take one cup of organic and all natural tobacco brand and mix it with one gall0n of water
⦁ Leave the mixture overnight to set
⦁ Check the mixture after 24 hours. It should have acquired a light brown color
⦁ If the mixture is still too dark, consider adding more water to the mixture
⦁ Strain the mixture using a strainer then put it in your spray bottle
⦁ Use the mixture on any plants of your preference

All in all, you should not use the tobacco spray on the plants in the solanaceous family. This includes the eggplants, tomatoes, peppers among others.

Caterpillars are a common pest threat in every garden

Alternative Pest Control

⦁ Diatomaceous earth
This natural pesticide has a rather weird name, but it’s just a natural substance that is made from the sedimentary rocks which are created by the fossilized algae. This is an abundant resource which makes up about 26% of the earth’s crust.

Besides being a strong pesticide; the diatomaceous earth has some other uses at home.
It may not poison or smoother the pests like other homemade pesticides, but it has abrasive qualities which makes it have the affinity to absorb the lipids from the exoskeleton of insects.

It merely dehydrates the pests to death. For best results, you can either apply it directly on plants by sprinkling on the plant foliage or mixing it with some pepper. For the pepper mixture, you should;

⦁ Grind two handfuls of dried pepper into a thin, fine powder
⦁ Mix the powder with diatomaceous earth
⦁ Add 2 liters of water
⦁ Leave the mixture to set overnight
⦁ Add to a spray bottle and shake well before applying

This natural herbicide helps to control the invasion of snails, slugs as well as any other crawling insects. However, if you are using the diatomaceous earth in its dried nature ensure you apply it after every rainy season.

This will give you effective results from this natural pesticide.

⦁ Chrysanthemum Flower Tea

This is a great organic pest control that is derived from the flowers with a powerful plant chemical known as pyrethrum.

This chemical attacks the nervous system of pests hence making them immobile. To make your own homemade garden pest control pesticide, follow the steps below;

⦁ Take 100 grams of chrysanthemum dried flowers and add one liter of water
⦁ Boil the two for at least 20 minutes
⦁ Strain the mixture then let it cool before adding it to the spray bottle
⦁ To enhance its effects, you can add some neem oil
The best thing about this spray is that it can be stored for up to 2 months without spoiling or compromising on its effectiveness.

⦁ Cayenne Pepper and Citrus Oil
The mixture of these two organic DIY pest control recipies works best on the ants. The two make a perfect blend of natural pesticide. To prepare this pesticide, you only have to mix about ten drops of the citrus oil with one tablespoon of the cayenne pepper.
Add one cup of warm water to the mixture then shake well before use. Put the mixture into a spray bottle then apply directly to the affected areas.

⦁ Tomato Leaf Spray

This is an effective organic pest control pesticide that effectively kills mites and aphids in your garden. This is because the tomato leaves contain alkaloids which are fatal to most of the insects. To make the spray, you need to;

⦁ Crush the tomato leaves then soak them in water for days
⦁ Strain the mixture when its ready then add to your spray bottle
This homemade pesticide recipe is great for whiteflies and grasshoppers control. However, you need to handle the tomato leaves with care. They are poisonous and should not be used on the food bearing plants.

Spray your organic pest control pesticide directly on the affected areas for the best results.

All Natural insecticide

⦁ Orange Citrus Oil

The orange citrus oil is a great natural organic pest control pesticide that wards off roaches, ants, and slugs from your garden. To make this garden pest control pesticide, you need to;

⦁ Add about three tablespoons of the liquid organic castile soap to one ounce of the orange citrus oil
⦁ Add one gallon of water and mix the mixture thoroughly
⦁ Spray on the affected areas

⦁ Soap Spray
This is an effective homemade pesticide that takes out a wide variety of garden pests. This includes; mites, thrips, scale, mites among others.

This is an easy organic pest control method that is made from mixing one tablespoon of dish washing soap with one gallon of water.

The mixture is then sprayed on the affected areas. It works by dissolving the exoskeleton of the insects before eventually killing them.

⦁ Mineral Oil
Mineral oil is a great organic pest control pesticide that dehydrates the insects and their eggs too. You only need to add about 10-30ml of grade mineral oil to one liter of water and stir. Apply the mixture to the affected plants using a spray bottle.