How to get rid of pesky pests

Thankfully, so far, our garden has been spared from the nasty pests that are prowling around gardens this time of year. But I know lots of gardens are being ran-sacked by insect invaders. 

Hopefully I can help :)  

My family and I try to grow our garden as organically as we can so I'll share some natural ways to control pests.

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If you have whiteflies you can try home-made insect spray.


Whitefly Spray
2 Tbsp dish soap 
2 Tbsp safflower oil
1 gallon water


Pour some of the mixture into a spray bottle and shake to combine. Because the mixture contains oil, you will need to shake it well before each use, as the oil will separate from the water and detergent.

(I got this recipe from ehow.com, click here for the original link)

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If slugs have decided to inhabit your garden, you can try home-made garlic spray. This also works for cutworms, wireworms and whiteflies. 

Garlic Spray for Pests

1 garlic bulb, crushed and minced
1 quart water
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon liquid dish soap

In a large jar, measure the water and cayenne pepper. Add garlic and onion to the mixture. Wait an hour before adding the soap. The spicy ingredients must sort of stew or steep, almost like tea. After an hour, add the soap and your non-toxic spray is ready to use! This can be stored in the fridge for a week.

(I got the original recipe for the garlic spray from essortment.com, click here for the original recipe and more home-made pesticide recipes.)

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If cabbage worms are devouring your plant, try salt spray.

Salt Spray

1 gallon water
2 Tbsp salt

Just mix and spray!

(I also got this recipe from essortment.com)

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If aphids are your problem, you can enlist the help of ladybugs. 

Praying mantises are also helpful with pest control.

If fungus gnats are a problem you can try hypoaspis miles.

If you have a variety of pests, an abundance of aphids or whiteflies that won't go away, I suggest green lacewings.

Their larvae eat a variety of pests such as: aphids, thrips, spider mites, greenhouse whitefly, mealybugs, leafhoppers, and the eggs and caterpillars of most pest moths. Of all available commercial predators, this lacewing is the most voracious and has the greatest versatility for pests of field crops, orchards, and greenhouses. Lacewings are also known as "aphid lions".

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If you're looking to kill the bugs and you're not worried about having an organic garden, my great grandma always used "Sevin" dust. You can find it pretty much anywhere, including The Green Thumbers. The Green Thumbers also has a wide variety of organic gardening products, as well as employees with a vast array of knowledge about eliminating pests from your garden.

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I hope this helps! I would love to hear about your bug remedies, and if you try any of these ideas I would love to hear how they work out!