How to Make Homemade Insect Plant Spray

Control insect infestations with natural insecticides.

Commercially formulated insecticides are loaded with chemicals. Chemicals can contaminate your home-grown food while killing off those marauding insects. Making your own insecticide spray is easy. That's because homemade insecticides are made from ingredients purchased at regular grocery stores or from a health food store. A good homemade insecticide known to repel aphids, white and bean flies along with slugs, snails, rabbits and even possums is made from red chilies and wormwood.

Things You'll Need

• Dried red chile peppers
• Dried wormwood
• Electric blender
• Water
• Pot
• Measuring cup
• Stove
• Bowl
• Spray bottle
• Funnel

Instructions

1. Pour 1 cup of dried chiles and 1 cup of dried wormwood into an electric blender. Wormwood is an herb. Purchase it at a health food store. Pour in 1 cup of water and blend everything together.

2. Pour the mixture into a pot and add 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Take the pot off the burner and let it sit for an hour.

3. Pour the mixture into a strainer and collect the fluid in a bowl. Pour the strained fluid into a spray bottle. Spray the insecticide on garden plants and flower beds.

Tips & Warnings

• Homemade insecticides can be stored up to a month. They must be stored in glass containers with screw tops that have been sterilized first. To sterilize, place them in cold water, bring the water to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Cool down the glass containers and screw tops before filling.

• Take care not to get any of the insecticide in your eyes or on your skin.

• Don't breath the fumes while the mixture is boiling. Red chiles are potent and may irritate your throat and lungs.

• Rinse your hands after handling wormwood.

References

• Angel Fire: Home-made Insecticides