You can just make a simple soap solution to spray them with. Look up home made insecticidal soap.
Comment on Natural Insecticides
Engywuck@lemmy.zip 1 day ago
Seriously: could I just use olive or seeds oil to get rid of aphids, for instance?
blackbrook@mander.xyz 20 hours ago
Engywuck@lemmy.zip 20 hours ago
Last time I tried that I killed my plant, lol.
I_am_10_squirrels@beehaw.org 13 hours ago
That’s thinking outside the box! No more plants, no more pests!
sem@piefed.blahaj.zone 10 hours ago
Get at the root of the problem
BodyBySisyphus@hexbear.net 19 hours ago
You can’t use regular soap; insecticidal soaps are fatty acid salts with potassium, while regular soaps are made with sodium.
blackbrook@mander.xyz 18 hours ago
As I do more reading though, I find warnings that many dish detergents will harm plants. Some people do spot tests, but buying a commercial insecticidal soap is safest. I guess I’ve been lucky, maybe because I use a crunchy natural dish detergent that is pretty mild.
blackbrook@mander.xyz 18 hours ago
I don’t know what you consider regular soap, but my understanding is that liquid soaps typically have potassium, bar soaps may use either. But I was using the term pretty loosely, people often make homemade insecticidal ‘soap’ with dish detergent which isn’t technically soap at all. Any surfactant tends to kill insects by compromising the waxy coating that keeps them from drying out.
Andrzej3K@hexbear.net 1 day ago
I would also like the answer to this question please
harmbugler@piefed.social 1 day ago
Most oils will suffocate aphids when applied directly, but neem oil contains azadirachtin, a pesticide which will stay on the plant and will keep aphids away by disrupting their lifecycle.
Engywuck@lemmy.zip 1 day ago
This makes sense. Thanks.