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Insecticidal Soap

By far the most commonly used organic insecticide. Due to its commercial availability insecticidal is used and known to even non-organic gardeners. The good news is that it is also one of the easiest to make at home. Very cheap too.

Insecticidal soaps work by dehydrating the offending pest. It causes ruptures in their cell membranes, making them leak... until they are dead. It is considered a selective insecticide since those pest with a hard exoskeleton seem to be less effected.

Materials:

Containers to mix and store the solution in.
Spray bottle

Ingredients:

1 cup of oil (Vegetable oil, peanut, corn, soybean...etc..)
1 tablespoon of Ivory liquid soap (or other pure soap... no perfumes etc...)

Making the Insecticidal Soap:

Mix the soap and the oil well. Shaking in a mason jar is faster.
Add 2 teaspoons of the mixture to every cup of water in the spray bottle when ready to use. Shake before spraying

How to use Insecticidal Soap:

Always protect yourself from any spray... this is a good habbit.

Shake bottle before spraying. Spray where you want the bugs to die. Works great on aphids.

Some tender plants may be affected... spray a test area first and wait a few days to be sure.

Additional Information:

This is very similar to both garlic and pepper sprays. Adding garlic or pepper to the above recipe will help make it more effective.