Last Updated on October 31, 2021 by Phil
Looking for DIY natural pest control spray recipes you can make at home? Here are 7 easy to make natural pest repellent sprays you can make to save money and avoid chemical pesticides.
This way, you don’t have to resort to chemicals or products with additives that can damage your plants or garden’s ecosystem.
Best of all, the ingredients used are very simple, many of which you already have at home.
DIY Natural Pest Control Spray Recipes You Can Make at Home
Below are my favorite DIY natural pest control spray recipes you can make at home. They’re very easy and don’t require a lot of ingredients.
They are effective, cheap and are safe because you know what’s in each spray.
Vegetable Oil Spray
This is a combination of soap and vegetable oil. I like to use Dr. Bronner’s castile soap which works really well. I prefer it to dishwashing soap.
This combination works as a spray as it coat the insect’s bodies preventing them from breathing. As a result it will suffocate them.
Here’s how to make the vegetable oil spray.
- Combine 1 tablespoon of mild soap with 1 cup of vegetable oil.
- Mix thoroughly by shaking.
- This will be your base application.
- When you want to apply it, mix 2 teaspoons of the oil mix with a quart of water.
- Place in a spray bottle and shake thoroughly to blend the ingredients.
- Spray on insects as well as surfaces of plants that have pests.
Garlic Vegetable Oil Spray
Garlic is a great natural repellent that keeps many insects away including mosquitoes and other bugs. Thus, you can use it to make a pest control spray.
Here’s how to make this garlic vegetable oil spray.
- Get one head of garlic and peel the cloves
- Puree the cloves in a blender or mixer and add 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- This will make some kind of pasty mix
- Leave the mix to sit overnight
- Then strain it to remove the particles
- Mix 1 tablespoon of dish soap with strained mixture.
- Place the solution into s spray bottle and spray on surfaces of plants that are infected with pests.
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Soap and Water Spray
If you find yourself without a lot of the extra ingredients, this is a basic natural pest repellent spray you can make with just a few simple ingredients.
Like the other sprays, you can safely apply them on plants. But, avoid doing so when the sun is hottest. Early morning or later after dusk are better times because there mix contains oil.
Here’s how to make the soap spray solution.
- Add 1.5 teaspoons of castile soap (any mild liquid soap will work) with 1 quart of water
- Shake thoroughly to mix the soap with the water
- Pour the solution into a spray bottle
- Spray on the areas of the plants where the pests are
Dish Soap and Baking Soda Spray
One of the hidden natural pest repellents hiding in your pantry or cleaning closet is baking soda. In addition to the many wonderful things it can do for cleaning and cooking, it is also an insecticide and fungicide.
In fact, it is listed by the EPA as effective against certain types of fungi including powdery mildew.
So, you can add this secret ingredient to your dish soap solution to get rid of bugs as well as fungus.
Here’s how to make it.
Mix:
- 1 teaspoon of dish soap
- 2 tablespoons of baking soda
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
With 2 quarts of water
Shake them together thoroughly then pour into a spray bottle.
Spray on affected areas of the plants.
Neem Oil Spray
Neem oil is extracted from the seeds of the neem tree. And, it is valuable because it is a natural insecticide that negatively affects all the stages of life of insects ranging from their ability to lay eggs to their larvae and also adult bugs.
The most important thing to keep in mind with neem oil is that you can use too much. An overly high concentration is better in eliminating pests. But, it can also damage the plants. So, you do want to find that balance that gets rid of pests without harming the plant.
Here’s how to use neem oil to get rid of pests.
Mix:
- 2 teaspoons of neem oil
- 1 teaspoon of mild liquid soap (I like to use castile soap)
Into 1 quart of water
Then, shake thoroughly to mix everything together. Remember it takes a bit for oil to mix with water so you want to shake it well.
Place the mix into a spray bottle and apply on foliage that is affected by pests.
Chile Pepper Spray (Powder & Fresh Options)
Like garlic, peppers are a natural insect repellent you can use to get rid of unwanted bugs and critters in your garden.
Here, you have the option to go with chile pepper powder or fresh hot peppers depending on which you have on hand.
Fresh Hot Pepper Pest Repellent Spray
This spray uses fresh hot peppers. So, if you grow them or have some at home you can create this simple pest repellent spray in minutes.
Here’s how.
- Chop up half a cut of hot peppers
- Mix this in with 2 cups of water
- Leave to sit overnight.
- The next day, strain the mix. Be careful while pouring as the mix can burn the skin. Also, wash your hands before touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
- Then add in 2 tablespoons of dish soap.
- Shake well to mix.
- Place the solution into a spray bottle.
- Apply on areas of the plants with bugs.
Chile Powder Pepper
Chile powder, not to be confused with chili powder, is made from dried chilies. This comes in small containers you can get from the supermarket or your local grocery.
You can use this in place of fresh hot peppers.
Here’s how to create a pest repellent with chile powder
Mix:
- 1 tablespoon of chile powder
- 1 quart of water
- Then add a few drops of mild liquid soap
- Shake well
- Apply to affected plants by spraying
Always Test Before Going All In
The most important thing when using any of these natural pest repellent spray recipes is to test it before going all in. That’s because different plants have varying tolerance levels.
As such, some mixes may be too strong or concentrated for certain plants. If that’s the case, you can then adjust it. After a while, you’ll know how to adjust for specific plants.
The easiest way I’ve found to test a spray mix is to apply on a small portion of the plant. You can apply to two small, separate (non-adjacent areas) of the plant to get a better feel as well.
Then, wait about 24 hours to see what happens.
If nothing happens, you’re good to go.
It is very important to always test because certain products can be harmful to plants. In other cases, the product is okay for plants but only up to a certain concentration.
For example, bleach-based soaps are a no-no which is why you always want to avoid dish soap with bleach. Also, too much neem oil can damage plant so you want to temper the concentration by diluting it with water.
Adjust as Needed
After testing and applying the mixtures, you want to adjust the recipe as needed. Some will be too strong, others may not get rid of all the pests.
Since you know the active ingredient from the recipes above, you’ll be able to increase or decrease the amount of that ingredient.
Finally, remember that stronger is not always better. That’s why you’re avoiding chemical pesticides. These are strong but they also wipe out everything else there which can end up messing up your garden’s ecosystem more than the damage the pests would have done.
So, in addition to getting rid of the bugs, you don’t want to overdo it such that it can damage plants or other parts of your garden’s ecosystem.
