The safe way to deal with pests and insects on your plants, in your nursery, your garden and around your home! Make sure you test your homemade sprays on a conspicuous part of your plants first, before spraying all your plants completely.
Which home made insect spray on what insect?
Organic
Aphids - Alcohol spray, Nicotine spray, Garlic spray, Tomato Leaf spray, Potato Leaf spray, Hot spray
Mealybugs - Alcohol
Scale - Alcohol, Nicotine (soft/young scale only)
Thrips - Alcohol, Nicotine
Whitefly - Alcohol, garlic, hot
Fungus gnats - Nicotine
Leafhoppers - Nicotine, Garlic
Leafminers - Nicotine
Earwigs - Garlic
Earworm - Tomato Leaf / Potato Leaf
Spidermite - Hot
Caterpillar - Hot
Alcohol spray
Use 1-2 cups of rubbing alcohol (70%) to 1L of water. Test the spray on some bottom leaves of your plants first to make sure it's safe and doesn't burn the foliage. Sometimes Alcohol spray can cause leaf damage on Violets or Apple Trees. Works well on many types of plants, including house plants and tropical plants.
Nicotine spray
Nicotine spray is extremely toxic to insects. You can make it by either soaking 1 cup of tobacco leaves (of the tobacco plant), cigarette butts, or rolling tobacco in 4L of warm water. Add a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid to bind it all together, and act as a foliage sticker + spreader. Strain the liquid after it has soaked for an hour or so. Spray the foliage thoroughly underneath and on the top. Nicotine spray acts as a systemic pesticide, and remains active for several weeks. Be careful with your vegetables, and don't spray them when you're planning on harvesting the vegetables within the month.
Garlic spray
Garlic spray works wonders as insecticide and has been proven to work against fungi as well. Mince 10 cloves of garlic in some vegetable oil for at least a whole day. Once it has soaked, add some dishwashing liquid and ½ L of water. The dishwashing liquid helps the oil mix with the water. Stir well and strain. Use 2 tblsp of the garlic mix per 1/2 L of water, and spray plants thoroughly.
Hot spray
Mix 1 teaspoon of Tabasco Sauce with 4 cloves of garlic and 1L of water. Let is soak for at least a day, before straining it.
Tomato Leaf spray / Potato Leaf spray
Both tomato plants and potato plants are members of the nightshade family, which have a toxic, water soluble substance in their foliage. You make this homemade insect spray by soaking 2 cups of chopped tomato leaves, or potato leaves (whichever you prefer or is more readily available) in 2 cups of water for a day, before straining the liquid. Spray both top and bottom of the leaves of your plants for protection.
Homemade Pest Sprays - Creating Your Own Organic Insecticide
El Meager is the Owner Manager of National Tropical Plants, one of Australia's leading online nurseries. National Tropicals Online Nursery specialises mainly in rare, exotic, native and general tropical garden plants for Australia. El has written 100's of articles on the subjects of gardening, plants and nurseries and is an avid supporter of the preservation of natural habitat for wildlife and nature. El is also a fanatic gardener herself together with husband Dan. All growing and plant information can be found on the website http://www.nationaltropicals.com.au