Homemade Aphid (or any soft shell bug) Spray
Our artichoke plants are often under aphid attack and mealybugs love our grapefruits. The ladybug troops are in need of reinforcement and we have an interest in the land and its natural resources- especially after all the effort in carefully producing from seed and container! With the help of Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile soap and an industrial spraying backpack, we found a solution to controlling our bug infestation.
Add 5 tablespoons, or just a little over ¼ cup, of Dr. Bronner’s soap to every 1 gallon of water.
Spraying on leaves and individual fruit, including the undersides of leaves where larvae are hidden, helps minimize soft shell bugs in gardens and orchards.
Spray on condition- as often as needed.
Dr. Bronner’s soap consists of organic vegetable-based oil without any harsh chemicals or detergents. The soapy water helps get rid of the waxy protective coating from the bodies of pests like aphids and mealy bugs, causing them to dehydrate and eventually die, without harming the plant. But try to avoid spraying the ladybugs (your allies!)- we relocate ladybugs to another bed when we come across them while spraying.
As for the Dr. Bronner’s soap, we’ve used the plain and the peppermint. Both have had similar results in fending off the invaders. Although the soap doesn’t harm the fruit, nor you if you happen to ingest a little, the flavor may be unpleasant, so wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly after picking.
The weather is warming up, so off we go spraying again. We’ll be ramping up the counterattack over the warm spring and summer months. It can be a war zone out there, so good luck!
Our Lomita Farm 
I just started using Dr. Bronner’s in my garden. Such amazing results! I definitely need to invest in one of those backpacks though 😊
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You do! But it’s a two person job getting it on when filled.
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I have root aphids I wonder, maybe I can water the soul with that soap? I’m desperate they are indoor plants so releasing friendly bugs may not be my answer and I need something safe for cats. I’m thinking of trying this..
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Sorry to hear about your root aphids! It seems to be a growing problem for indoor plants. I don’t recommend using our aphid spray concoction in the root area (soil). Even though the Castille soap is all natural, it may harm the plant if directly sprayed on the soil. This spray is suited for aphids on fruit and foliage in outdoor plants. Here’s a website that might help: http://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/houseplant-pests/root-aphid-control/
I wish you the best!
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Oh they are evil little buggers. They are giving me a hard time that’s for sure, I’m tempted to throw everything out and start over. I’m pretty sure they came In On a greenhouse purchased plant or in the soil. Thanks for the tip I’ll check it out but im near my limit here.
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