Organic Pest Control Recipes

Organic pest control doesn’t mean leaving bugs alone to do their damage in the garden. Some insects eat other insects, which helps you out

Organic pest control doesn’t mean leaving bugs alone to do their damage in the garden. Some insects eat other insects, which helps you out, but other times, chemicals are necessary. While you do not want to use synthetic chemicals to kill or scare away pests, there are a host of naturally-occurring chemicals and bacteria that can work in your favor in the garden.

Here are a few organic pest control recipes, courtesy of The Garden Guy Dave Owens:

Flea and Tick Control
2 sprigs lavender
20 eucalyptus leaves
1 quart water
Boil mixture. Use as a spray repellent.

Roach Control
1 part boric acid
9 parts peanut butter or sugar
Mix boric acid and peanut butter; smear on small pieces of cardboard, then place around your house for the roaches to eat.
Note: Mixture should be placed out of the way of pets and children.

Snail and Slug Control
1 beer
2 pie plates
Pour beer in 1 pie plate; top with second pie plate. Place in an infested area and the pests will crawl in, but they won’t be able to crawl out.

In addition to these recipes, try diatomaceous earth for ants and beetles, and use bacillus thuringiensis for caterpillar control. Just sprinkle these organic bacteria on plant leaves to kill insects naturally.