Hey Guys,
I thought I’d kick off this blog with a cool recipe for creating your own aphid insecticide spray or insecticidal soap.
As well as killing aphids, this spray is also an effective method of killing other soft-bodied bugs such as mealybugs, spider mites, whiteflies and small scales.
This technique works by removing the protective wax that covers these types of bugs, leading to water leaking from their bodies and dehydration.
WARNING: In the vast majority of cases, the aphids will be killed and the plant will remain unharmed, however this is not always the case – hawthorn, cherry, plum, tomato and sweet pea are particularly susceptible.
You will need:
- An empty spray bottle
- Dish detergent
- Vegetable oil
Directions:
- Add 1 large tablespoon of dish detergent (washing up liquid) to the spray bottle.
- Add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil.
- Fill the spray bottle with water to dilute the solution.
- Shake the spray bottle thoroughly to ensure the solution is well-mixed.
- Spray the solution liberally over the aphids.
- Return an hour later to rinse the liquid off your plant (to avoid any ill-effects that may occur with some species).
- Repeat 2-3 times a day until all the aphids are dead.
This is a highly effective method for getting rid of aphids, however there are a couple of drawbacks.
Firstly, this method doesn’t kill aphid larvae and secondly, you must ensure the aphids are covered with the solution when you apply it – it requires full contact, so any aphids walking over solution after application will not be affected.
So get making your own bug spray now 
John
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