DIY Organic Pesticides: Kitchen Recipes That Work

Skip the chemical aisle. Your pantry holds potent, safe pest control.

Recipes

• Canola oil spray: 1 cup oil + 1 gal water. Suffocates soft-bodied insects. Don't exceed ratio.
• Garlic spray: 1 bulb blended in 2 cups water, steep overnight, strain, dilute to 1 gal. Kills soft-bodied pests.
• Hot pepper-garlic: Add finely chopped hot peppers (seeds in) to garlic steep. Deters mammals + insects.
• Sand barrier: Bed of sand under cucurbits blocks slugs/snails.
• Milk spray: 1 part skim milk + 9 parts water. Prevents powdery mildew. Weekly. Don't exceed 1:9.
• Clove spray: 3–4 tbsp ground cloves + 1 gal water. Knocks down flying insects.
• Boric acid dust: Cockroach control. Keep away from pets/kids.

Application

Fortnightly for best effect. Test on few leaves first. These aren't silver bullets—they're tools in an integrated approach.