pests Sprays for bugs-post your fave!

[Skydiver]

Let's see if we can condense far flung info into one post to rule them all.
If you buy commercial stuff to spray on your plants, let's hear what you use.
If you use home made stuff, post what you use and how you make it.

You can also post your thoughts on how effective it was.

I've read posts about boiled garlic, soap and water, stuff like that.

I'm trying to get all that good info in one easy to read thread that will help new people to the world of gardening that have found their way to this most awesome-est of forums. A thread that if someone searches for info, will lead them to a veritable cornucopia of helpful info, rather than a thread about one specific treatment.

One Thread to rule them all,
One Thread to find them,
One Thread to bring them all
and in the garden bind them.

I'll start the ball rolling:


For aphid control, I have usually stayed away from sprays in favor of Marigolds.
I avoid African marigolds in favor of French, French marigolds being a smaller, more compact plant that won't hog up your peppers sunlight.
In addition to keeping the pests away from my plants, they look great and are very hardy plants.
I've never had a huge aphid problem, so between my marigolds and the natural ladybug population here things usually work out fine.


Your turn!

 

[RichardK]

All hostiles are apprehended with this stuff...

Any survivors are put on trial for damage to private property and promptly executed with this machine...

Grapefruit shown for demonstration purposes.

This is serious business.

 

[imaguitargod]

Garden Safe is great stuff. I usually just do Neem Oil and water.

 

[Skydiver]

From Snakedoc in another thread:

Mine were dying too. Don't give up. I'm not sure what to do about the aphids, but I hear ladybugs that have their wings stuck together with a mix of soda and water work well. For the leaf problems I suggest using garlic and cinnamon.

1. Crush 2-3 cloves of garlic
2. Put it in a pot and let it boil for an hour or so at moderate heat.
3. Let the garlic water cool until lukewarm
4. Strain
5. Water your plants with it
6. Sprinkle cinnamon around the stems of the plants.

 

[POTAWIE]

I use soap sprays, neem and other oils, and pyrethrum sprays(when they were available here) I've also used chiles and/or extract sprays but this should be done with caution. I also started using diatomaceous earth mixed with icing sugar on top of my soil, but am unsure of the results yet.
Personally I never have any aphid problem once my plants have been outside for a while, I guess the natural predators take over and the garden hose treatments really help too

 

[Skydiver]

When you say soap sprays, can you please elaborate?

What type of soap, how much to use in how much water, etc?

 

[POTAWIE]

You can buy insecticidal soaps such as "Safer's soap" but you can make your own with and fragrance-free non-antibacterial hand/dish soap. Just mix a bit with water, I never really measure.

 

[AlabamaJack]

Safer Soap...

http://www.ozbo.com/Safer-Brand-Ins...froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=froogle

 

[dallas]

I've tried a few different sprays but now mainly use neem oil, it had the effect of curling some of my plants at the start but I think I was mixing too strong.... a couple of drops in a small spray bottle seems to do the trick..... excellent for spider mites. aphids take a little while to go as the neem doesn't kill them but changes their hardwiring so they wont eat reproduce ect, as far as I've read seems to be a pretty safe product.

 

[Skydiver]

Thanks everyone for your input.
Wonder if we could get a similar post to condense all the fertilizer info into one Mother Post, as well.

 

[POTAWIE]

Personally I don't find that neem works well at all on its own or as a preventative measure but it does seem to kill the adults and eggs that are sprayed. I also found that neem can cause leaf curl and other problems if used often or over-applied

 

[worlok]

that garden safe caused weird bubbly leaf curl on mine - or it was a coincidental something else working behind the scenes... and the aphids ALWAYS came back. Used soap/oil water and it killed all the leaves on some. maybe too strong. Made a weaker batch with what I think is a safer soap...

 

[fineexampl]

this has been working for me. while i hate to support Miracle-Gro, this stuff is readily available at Walmart (shh haters!).

it's pyrethrins and canola oil. i've used it on seedlings and larger plants and the aphids hate it, but the plants don't mind it.

 

[RichardK]

Pyrethrins are either plant derived or synthetic chemicals related to plant based pyrethrins.

Either way, they degrade with sunlight and are not dangerous to humans or most pets.

Though dont spray near aquatic life, it will kill them.

 

[rainbowberry]

Sorry for the small picture. It's Growing success Fruit and Veg bug killer. The green version is even better even if it does smell of parmesan cheese.

 

[dallas]

I also found that neem can cause leaf curl and other problems if used often or over-applied

yep potawie found the same, I just use a very weak mixture now

 

[POTAWIE]

Pyrethrins are either plant derived or synthetic chemicals related to plant based pyrethrins.

Either way, they degrade with sunlight and are not dangerous to humans or most pets.

Though dont spray near aquatic life, it will kill them.

Here we're banned from using pyrethins outdoors do to the toxity in bees