There are lots of different types of bugs, ones that have soft bodies and ones that have armored bodies. Ones that damage your plant by eating it’s leaves and then others that pierce your plant and drink its blood.
Nature is crazy.
The best way for both you and the environment to take care of bugs is to A.) give you plant a healthy ecosystem t o live in and B.) If you do harmful insects you should try removing them by hand if that seems feasible.
But sometimes that is just not possible. If things are beyond being able to picked off, there is nothing wrong with using some natural pest controls as long as you use them according to directions.
Home garden remedies
There are tons of home remedies online, some a little hoky but others that actually work. I’ve heard people say that they poured oatmeal on ants to kill them, Not sure that worked out too well. But there are some home bug control recipes that I’ve found to actually work.
Spray power
A powerful hose sprayer can knock lots of little pests off of your plants. This can actually effectively control stink bugs, aphids, white flies and thrips by knocking the pests and their eggs off of your plants. Most of the time bugs attack the undersides of your leaves so be sure to get a good spray right there. I like this little nozzle(check price on Amazon), it has minimal moving pieces so less of a chance for it to break but provides a powerful stream.
Soapy water
With direct contact this will kill soft bodied insects like aphids, mealy bugs, white flies, spider mites and thrips.
To make this simple spray mix 1 tablespoon of soap per quart of water. Or 5 tablespoons of soap per gallon of water.
You will want to use a pure, unscented soap(check price on Amazon) for this. Detergents and other dish soaps with added fragrance and chemicals aren’t the best option.
Adding a teaspoon of vinegar per gallon is said to help with powdery mildew and adding a teaspoon of cayenne will help deter chewing pests like caterpillars.
Canola oil
You can use this to make another insecticidal spray by mixing 2 tablespoon of the previously mentioned soap, 1 tablespoon of canola oil and 4 cups of water. This works on controlling the same pests that the soapy water spray does but it has an added punch of canola.
Borax
I have found this to be the most effective ant killer out there. Simply mix 1 part borax(check price on Amazon) to 6 parts white sugar and stir with a tiny bit of water. I like to combine these ingredients in an old tupperware or plastic container you get with salsa or cottage cheese. I poke large holes in the container and lid. Then i just put the containter right on top of the mound.
The ants can’t resist the sugar, little do they know it’s laced with borax.
Borax makes quick work of the kingdom and rids you of your ant problem.
Beer
I’m way more of a fan by drinking it but beer can kill some slugs. It seems if you have a minor slug problem this will help you out but if you’re battling loads of slimy slugs, you will want to look for a different method.
You start by pouring beer into a small container like a used tuna fish can or even a small plastic tupperware.
The slugs are attracted to the beer yeast, go to take a sip and fall into your container and drown to death.
This doesn’t work 100% of the time but it will help a little bit.
Natural pest control
Insecticidal soaps
This is a stronger version of your home remedy soap spray. If you tried that and haven’t’ had any luck controlling the bugs buy an Insecticidal soap(Check price on Amazon). You can apply this every 5 to 7 days. Be sure to apply this in the early morning or late evening to maximize effectiveness.
controls aphids, mealy bugs, white flies, spider mites and thrips.
Won’t harm honey bees!
Thuricide
Also known as B.t.(Check price on Amazon) is an effective caterpillar control. It’s another natural pest control that won’t harm bees or really anything else except worms and caterpillars. This works by effectifly paralysing any caterpillar that eats some of your plant that has been sprayed with B.t. Great at controlling hornworms, armyworms and other munching caterpillars.
Neem
Neem oil(Check price on Amazon) comes from the neem tree, duh. It works by disrupting hormones and proper development of insects. It works on a large number of bugs that may attack your garden including stink bugs, aphids, worms, mites and beetles.
Neem is also harmful to bees though. You should only spray towards the evening, when pollinators are less active.
Spinosad
Another broad spectrum insect killer that is considered organic. Spinosad controls caterpillars, thrips, lots of beetles, grasshoppers and even ants. It’s a neurotoxin that makes bugs so excited that they tire out and no longer want to eat. That would be an awful way to die. So excited to the point of passing out and not being able to eat?! No thanks. Spinosad(Check price on Amazon) does also kill good insects like bees. So be sure to always apply according to the directions and in the evening, when pollinators are least active.