Poison-Free Pest Control Solutions

Alternative to Insecticides for the Yard & Garden

Diatomaceous earth

• Available at garden centers
• Affects crawling insects, such as snails and slugs
• Dust ground around plants with powdered diatomaceous earth (can also sprinkle directly on affected leaves)
• Needs to be reapplied after rain (or heavy watering)

Neem oil

• Available at many garden centers
• Disrupts the life cycle of insects in any stage (egg, larvae, or adult)
• Biodegradable, nontoxic to pets, birds, fish, and other wildlife
• Won't pollute ground water or runoff
• Won't harm bees, butterflies, and lady bugs
• Effective against many common insect pests
• Effective against powdery mildew and other fungal infections
• To prepare for use, mix 2 teaspoons neem oil with 1 quart of water (option to mix 1 teaspoon mild liquid soap)
• To use, spray on affected plant foliage
• Spray early in the morning or in the evening. Avoid spraying during the heat of the day when the combination of sun and oil can burn foliage.

Peppermint, Thyme & Rosemary Oil Repellent

• Mix equal parts (about 10 drops) peppermint, thyme, and rosemary essential oil in a spray bottle filled with water
• Spray around garden
• Repels (doesn't kill) flies, fleas, mosquitoes, cabbage looper caterpillars, aphids, squash bugs, white flies, ants, beetles, spiders, chiggers, ticks, and roaches.
• Homemade Insecticidal soaps
• Spray directly on affected foliage (avoiding heat of the day)
• Affects many common garden pests
• Oil spray
  • Mix 1 cup vegetable oil with 1 tablespoon liquid soap (such as castile soap)
  • To apply, mix 2 teaspoons of oil and soap mix with 1 quart of water. Shake, and spray directly on affected plants
  • Avoid spraying during heat of the day.
  • Works on aphids, mites, thrips, etc.
• Soap spray
  • Mix 1 ½ teaspoons mild liquid soap (castile) with 1 quart of water.
  • Spray directly on infected plants.
  • Apply early in morning or in evening, not during the heat of the day.
  • Works on mites, aphids, whiteflies, beetles, etc.

For Wasp or Hornet Nests

• Peppermint or Tea Tree Oil Castile Soap Spray
• Add one cup of tea tree oil or peppermint liquid castile soap to a hose end sprayer.
• Attach to hose and spray directly at nest until it disintegrates or falls.
• The soap suffocates the wasps or hornets, and the peppermint or tea tree scent prevents them from coming back and rebuilding nests.

Alternative to Pesticides for the Home

Peppermint Oil

• Spider and ant repellent
  • Mix about 5 to 7 drops of peppermint oil and a few drops of dish soap in a spray bottle filled with warm water, shake well
  • Spray along windows, doors, and other places you might find spiders
• Mosquito repellent
  • Place a few drops of peppermint oil in a shallow dish of water
  • Place in the room where you want to deter mosquitoes
• Rodent repellent
  • Dip cotton balls or rags in peppermint oil and place around home (inside or outside) wherever the pest problem occurs
  • Repels mice, rats, squirrels, and rabbits

Alternative to Pesticides for Weeds

Vinegar

• Effective weed killer. Will kill all plants-don't spray on anything you want to keep
• Add a couple of drops of liquid soap to white vinegar to help it adhere to the plant
• Spray on a dry, sunny day
  • Optional: add salt to prevent weeds from coming back. Salt will also inhibit other plants from growing, so only add salt where you know you never want anything to grow (ex: walkway, crack in sidewalk, etc.).

Boiling Water

• Pour boiling water on weeds you wish to eliminate (will kill all plants- use only on those you wish to target).

Precautionary Principle - When to Use Pesticides

Emergency use of pesticides is the only acceptable use of pesticides. To optimize public safety and environmental quality, the use of all pesticides-even the Organic and Least Toxic certified products-should be minimized and treated as a last resort rather than a step of routine maintenance.