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You can control most insect pests around your home and garden without harming the environment or poisoning your living spaces.

Here are a few ideas on how to control pests in your garden.

But before you spray, remind yourself that 95% of insects in your garden are beneficial, even if they do eat a couple leaves of lettuce.

Expecting a bug free garden is unrealistic, and attempts will result in an unhealthy garden and frustration.

Click here to learn about the beneficial insects in your garden.

Even though these methods are natural, some of them can be toxic to animals and children. Handle all solutions with care. Label the bottles and store them out of reach of kids and animals.

General Pest Repellents

Paralyzing Salsa

Mix this up and spray it on your plants. It works well on most insects.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ripe, blemished tomatoes
• 1 pound fresh chili peppers
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

• Combine the vegetables in a food processor or blender until liquefied.
• Add the vinegar and pepper.
• Strain the mixture through cheesecloth or coffee filters.
• Pour the liquid in to a spray bottle
• Spray the liquid directly on pests that you spot in the garden.

NOTE: This mixture can be irritating if it gets in your eyes or mouth. Don't spray it on windy days.

Garlic Extract

When sprayed on plants, this extract confuses insects.

NOTE: Beneficial insects also don't like garlic, so be selective of where you spray this.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound garlic
• 1 litre of water
• 4-5 drops of dish soap

Directions:

• Place garlic cloves (unpeeled) in a blender with 1 cup of the water. Chop well
• Add the rest of the water and dish soap. Blend until liquefied.
• Strain the mixture through cheesecloth or coffee filters.
• Store in a sealed glass jar.

To Use: Dilute 1 part extract with 10 parts water. Put in a spray bottle and spray plants that are under attack or are likely to come under attack.

Ants

Ants are attracted to nutritionally poor, dry soil, low in organic matter. If you increase the organic matter in your soil by top-dressing with compost, your soil will retain more moisture and the ant problem will take care of itself.

Some Other Remedies.

• Sprinkle red chili pepper at the point of entry.
• Make a syrup of 1 Tbsp. sugar plus 1 Tbsp. Borax in 2 Tbsp. Water. Place in flat dish near infestation.
• Douse the anthill with boiling water. Use a kettle--it's a safer way to transport boiling water to the site.

Aphids

Citrus Killer

This kills aphids and soft-bodied insects. It also repels ants.

Ingredients:

• 1 litre water
• Rind from 1 lemon, orange or grapefruit

Directions:

• Boil the water and add the grated lemon rind. Remove from the heat.
• Steep the mixture overnight.
• Strain the mixture and store in a spray bottle
• Spray leaves that are being attacked by aphids or other soft bodied insects.

NOTE: The spray must come in contact with the insect to be effective.

Killer Cooking Oil

This is a potent insecticidal spray.
It works on aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon liquid dish soap

1 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

• Mix the two ingredients.
• To make the spray, mix 1-2.5 teaspoons of the soap/oil concentrate with 1 cup water.
• Spray both sides of leaves once a week.
• NOTE: the oil can burn plants such as cabbage, cauliflower and squash. On these plants, use a lower concentration.

Slugs

Slug Traps

Beer is the ultimate slug drink.
They will literally drink themselves to death in it.

Make a trap out of a shallow lid or try this low profile trap. Cut a 1 litre pop bottle in half and insert the top half upside down into the bottom half. Pour 1/2 cup (stale) beer into the container and bury the bottom part of the bottle. Slugs will crawl in and drown. To clean the trap, just remove the top part and pour the contents on your compost pile. Refill it with beer and put the trap back into the garden.

Slug Dissolving Spray

This recipe works well on small slugs that are too small to hand pick.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups non-sudsing ammonia
• 1 1/2 cups water

Directions:

• Pour the water and ammonia into a spray bottle. Shake gently to mix.
• Spray the mixture on plants where small slugs appear to be active.
• NOTE: The ammonia will not harm plants and breaks down into nitrogen.

Deer

Fishy Deer Deterrent

This spray deters deer from eating your flowers and it is good for the plant's health. The deer don't like the smell of fish and if they do take a bite, don't like the taste of the soap.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons kelp
• 1 cup fish emulsion
• 3 tablespoons liquid hand soap
• 3 gallon sprayer or backpack

Directions:

• Mix ingredients together and place in sprayer or backpack.
• Fill the sprayer with water.
• Spray any plants that are being eaten by deer until the mixture drips off the leaves.
• Reapply every 7-10 days or after heavy rain.

Smart Planting Repels Deer

Planting highly aromatic plants around the edges of your garden or near plants that deer seem to really like, confuses deer and they end up not eating.

Examples:

• Mint
• Rosemary
• Lemon Thyme
• Obedient Plant
• Queen-Anne's Lace
• Clematis
• Blackberries
• Foxgloves
• Butterfly Weed
• Lamb's Ears
• Chameleon Plant

Dogs

Dog-be-gone Solution

Stop dogs from digging in your garden by pour this solution in their favorite digging holes.

Ingredients:

• 1 clove of garlic (chopped)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 1 litre warm water
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients in a large pail.
• Allow it to steep overnight.
• Using a small can, scoop the mixture out and dribble it where dogs are likely to lay or lie.
• Note: this also works if your dog is getting into your compost pile. After turning the pile, sprinkle it with the solution.

Hopefully these recipes have just whetted your appetite for more.

More Natural Pest Solutions are available at the following site:

Better Basic Bug Spray