How to Make and Use Organic Pesticide From Tobacco

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Tobacco has been used as a natural organic pesticide for hundreds of years. Nicotine is a highly toxic substance which both kills and repels voracious pests on flowering plants, fruits and vegetables. It's effective on a wide range of insects and is an inexpensive alternative to commercial chemical pesticides. Here's how to make and use it.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Tobacco
Water
Gallon container with a lid
Rubber gloves
Spray bottle or garden sprayer

Step1

Put a cup of loose tobacco into a gallon of warm water. Add a tablespoon of dishwashing soap and stir to mix it. Cover the solution and let it steep for 24 hours or until it takes on the color of weak tea.

Step2

Remove the solids by pouring the solution through a cloth into a spray bottle or garden sprayer. You can store any of the excess fluid in a tightly covered container for later use.

Step3

Spray the tobacco solution from the top of the plant to the bottom. Coat the stems and the upper and underside of the leaves. Early morning is the best time to spray when the temperature is cool and the air is still.

Step4

Reapply the organic pesticide every 10 days to 2 weeks throughout the growing season for best results.

Tips & Warnings

Adding dishwashing soap helps the solution stick to the plant surfaces, and it also has pest killing properties of its own.
Wear rubber gloves when handling any pesticide to avoid absorbing it through your skin.
Wash any fruits or vegetables thoroughly before eating them to remove any residue of the pesticide.
The tobacco solution is safe for most plants, but don't use it on peppers, tomatoes or any other members of the nightshade family. It can damage or kill these plants.