Easy to make and use, homemade garlic-mint garden insect spray was tested on badly attacked basil plants & a flowering vine and worked with only 2 applications! This bug spray has continued to work in my garden as well as many reader’s gardens, too.
Welcome to one of AOC’s popular gardening DIYs: how to make a natural garlic-mint insect spray easily from pantry ingredients- that actually works! Be sure to check out these other resources for more information on this spray:
- a follow-up video showing how to make it, apply it, and how it worked on green beans, too.
- a Frequently Asked Questions page with answers to most questions I’ve gotten, plus reader testimonials about how this has worked in their gardens – both good and bad.
Okay guys, I’m excited to finally share with you the results of the get-rid-of-nasty-garden-bug experiment I’ve been conducting on my poor, bug-eaten basil plants and trumpet vine that I’ve shared a bit about before. I know I’ve teased you with my testing for long enough – we all deal with bugs, so I know you’ll be as happy to see the results as I was!
The background to this experiment is a tale known to many organic gardeners (and maybe even would-be gardeners who gave up when faced with seemingly destroyed plants?): years of either ignoring it (and losing plants or living with damaged plants) or trying many different remedies from diatomaceous earth (works on many things though tedious to apply, sometimes hard to find, needs a lot of reapplication, may kill good bugs) to soap and water (this never really did much in my garden).
MY LATEST VIDEOSAnd for some reason, while I don’t have much of a problem beyond cucumber beetles in our large, main garden (and most years I don’t lose plants to them), our herb garden hosts something(s) that have eaten the basil every year since we added it to our backyard. I created this spray last year (adapted from a Keeper of the Home article) to use on them, but didn’t really keep track of it, although I do remember that it worked.
So this year when our basil was hit particularly hard as well as some marigolds I planted among the herbs and the trumpet vine growing up the gazebo across the path, I mixed up a new batch, wrote it down and documented in pictures so if it really did work, I could share it with you.
And you’re not going to believe how well it worked – in fact, as I was putting this together I was thinking I was going to have to add disclaimers on the photos like “I promise these really are the same plants” or something, so you’ll believe me!
So I’m pinky-swearing or whatever you need from me: the three photos in the collage above really, honestly are the same plant from beginning to four weeks later. I know, can you believe it?
And also honestly: even after 20 years of growing things, seeing stunted, bug-eaten plants like my poor basil makes me want to throw in the towel sometimes. It’s just…ugh. These were three basil plants that I grew from seed, nurturing them along and to see them look like this in just a few weeks after planting out? It’s hard.
And so I sprayed my homemade garlic-mint spray all over that poor plant, but I didn’t really think it was much for this world. It had only one growing tip left, but seriously, look at it (above left) – who would give that guy a chance?
Well, I started seeing results within days – new growth! After a week I still was a bit skeptical – was that old bug-bitten leaves or new? But by week 2, I knew we had a winner and I snapped a picture before applying one more light spraying and then waiting another 2 weeks.
Look at this beautiful, healthy basil plant! There’s a bug-bite here and there, but I can live with that (and we organic gardeners do, often, a-hem), but most of the new growth is blemish-free and I’ve started harvesting and making our not-so-secret-ingredient frugal pesto to freeze.
Now, I had to share this with you as well, even though the photos were not taken in great light. This plant on the left was the worst of the three basils – stunted beyond anything I had seen with every growing tip eaten off and the remaining leaves were hard and leathery.
It was so bad I did dig it up and was just about to drop it in the compost (which I probably would’ve done if I hadn’t been planning on sharing this with you all), but at the last minute I planted it in an empty spot out in the main garden, spraying it with the garlic-mint spray. And while it took longer to rebound (duh, I would, too!), I took the photo on the right just a few days ago, hardly believing what I was seeing.
Is this stuff a miracle worker, or what? I should probably mention, too, that when I applied it the first time, we got a ton of rain the following week and I was sure it wasn’t going to work. Garden M-I-R-A-C-L-E.
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And, you can probably see where this is going (should I have saved all the afters for the end? I was just too excited to share with you!) but here we have a reminder of the trumpet vine damage. This insect (I still don’t know what – I’ve never seen anything so it must be nocturnal) ate leaves like other bugs, but seemed to zero in on the new growing tips, which is a sure way to kill a plant.
And now the vine is growing like trumpet vines are supposed to (that would be out-of-control, for those not familiar with trumpet vines, ha!), full of lovely leaves and new growing tips. I think this thing has grown 3 feet in just a couple weeks, that’s how much the insects had stunted it.
Homemade Garlic-Mint Garden Insect Spray
So, are you dying to know what is in the spray and how to make it? It’s super easy and uses easy-to-find (or grow) ingredients – I created it up by combining a couple of sources, none of which had a clear ‘recipe’ (I credited one source above) so I’m writing it out for you so you can make it whenever you need it.
I’m so happy to gift this to your garden, because I think you’re going to love it as much as I do. Oh, and the mint? It makes this smell good – no yucky concoction here for you to suffer through.
Click the green arrow for the full printable DIY Garlic-Mint Spray recipe!
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Loved your video on the bug spray. Will definitely try it next season.
I think you will love it, Carlie!
Never saw the recipe due to the annoying pop up ads.
Sorry about that – I try to not use pop ups, the only one is the bottom that you can click off in the corner and our own videos that you can also click off. Also, the recipe can be accessed quickly by using the arrow at the top “Click to Go to the Recipe.”
Did you kind made a alternative repellent using a garlic vine to kill a household flies?
I’m not sure that would work – flies usually don’t care about scent (and this works by repelling insects).
I just made the bug spray thank you I made it in my spaghetti pot it has a strainer in it so very easy to drain than when pouring into a bottle drained it through a filter
Great tip – thanks!
Did you use this to keep cabbage worms away. I spray at least once a week and the rabbits don’t eat my plants anymore and most of my plants are doing amazing. But I do still have trouble with cabbage worms.
Glad to hear that your plants are doing better, Michelle. It works by repelling (from the smell) so that makes sense that the rabbits don’t care for it. But no it doesn’t bother the cabbage worms unfortunately. The only thing that works for them is to keep the cole crops under a row cover or to use diatomaceous earth or Bt (a more natural pesticide).
Do you think this will work on ants?
I haven’t tried it – I’m not sure they care about these smells (it’s a repellent).
I found this recipe two years ago and cannot go any spring or summer without it. As promised, it works to keep bugs away from my herbs. My most important use, however, is for my roses. Last year I lost 50% or more of my roses to deer. Then I discovered that deer don’t like mint or garlic. I spray this solution on all my new rose buds and and a few of the leaves around them. The buds survive into maturity and beautiful flowers. I didn’t lose a single flower to roses last year and so far this year. In the case of roses, I have to spray regularly particularly after a good rain. It’s worth it! I love that I don’t have to worry about smelling my roses on the plant or in my house because the solution all natural. It does not impact the smell at all. I highly recommend this solution
★★★★★
Oh, gosh, I didn’t think to use it for this situation – thank you so much for leaving your experience! We are now living where there are tons of deer and I will be making a batch of this pronto. 🙂
I have problems with cats with my plants. Do you know what repels cats to stay away from plants? Thanks, very helpful.
I’m sorry, I don’t Edna. I bet looking it up on Google would result in some ideas!
Would mint oil work?
You could experiment – if you look at the FAQ page, I give ideas about how to start using oils and then seeing how they perform.
Do you have to refrigerate this spray?
I don’t, but it starts to lose potency in a couple weeks – maybe it would last longer with refrigeration? I don’t have room to test it out. 🙂
Sooooooo Thankful !!! Just what I was looking for .my beans were horribly eaten away andd I was looking for non chemical pest repellent n then I read n saw it post !!
SOOOOOO THANKFUL !! STAY GREEN STAY BLESSED !! THANKS AGAINNNN !!!
Wonderful – hope it works for you like it did for me!
Can you use this bug spray on rose bushes and other flowers?If so I am going to try this,Please let me know.Thank You Sheila
Yes! I used it on roses and think it helped keep some of the Japanese Beetles away. I wasn’t able to do a complete before-and-after test, so didn’t add it to the site.
how long does mint insecticide last?
It seems to lose it’s potency after 3-4 weeks.
I have just printed this out… having a horrible time fighting bugs in my organic, non-GMO garden…. nothing is really working all THAT well so I will give this a try…. my question is this: As far as biodegradeable soap… is that something like Dr. Bronner’s? If not, can you make a recommendation? I want to make this up today if possible… Thank you so much….
Yes, Dr. Bronner’s is perfect, Andrea. I’ve also used Seventh Generation. Hope this works for you!
Thank you for sharing your brilliant concoction. I just wanna ask how many months can we store the solution having its efficacy as a repelent?
It lasts about a month before it starts losing it’s scent and effectiveness.
I used a garlic pepper spray on my root veggies and leafy greens. It hurt them tremendously. Could the cayenne have burned them?
Yes, especially if the weather was hot. My recipe uses just a small amount of pepper, so I haven’t had a problem, though I live in a cooler climate (than, say, the southwest). I always caution people to to a test area first.
I’m wondering if basil’s flavor was altered by the spray?
Nope – I write more about this on the FAQ page. 🙂
So glad I found this! I’ve always have been opposed to chemical pesticides and repellents. The only question I have is, does it repel or kill good bugs?
It repels!
Thanks for the recipe! Can you please tell me what quantity is the “3c” for the mint? 3 Cups? Thanks again!
Yes, c.= cups, Emma.
Do you have a DIY spray for in house plants? I sure would like to know what that is.
I don’t, Kathy – I actually don’t have many house plants. 🙂
Your information is well written gratefully shared. You are obviously a kind & considerate person. Thank you for sharing this useful information. I plan to try your bug repellant spray. I would like to say that I also had difficulty getting to the recipe but finally got there, ‘tried’ to print it but ended up writing it down. Maybe some of your links don’t work all the time. Just some friendly feedback to which you seem receptive. Thanks again & I hope I remember to give feedback on how effective your recipe is for me.
Of course, Nancy – I want to be sure the site is easy for everyone to use, so thank you for letting me know your experience! The links always work for me (both clicking on the arrows for the recipe and printing), so I need to hear from readers who are having issues. I do hope the recipe works for you now that you got it!
I’ve been trying to print off the recipe for garlic and mint insect control but it comes out blank. Help! Please email it to me at [email protected]
Thank you!
Susan O.
So weird, Susan – it opens fine for me. Did you try closing your browser and clearing the cache? Anyway – I’ll copy and paste it in an email for you. 🙂
I wonder if this would be a good spray for repelling rabbits from eating my plants? Garlic and mint have been recommended elsewhere in internet to work on rabbits, etc. What do you think? If so, w oukd it have to be reapplied after every rain? If used for that purpose, could i leave out the cayenne pepper? I feel it has potential to be cruel to animals. (They can’t rinse out their mouths and eyes, etc).
Also, my catmint plants will need trimmed back soon. Their scent is not as strong, but would they work in the mixture? I have a mint plant also, but it is in a small container, do i would not have enough of it alone. Thanks!
You could test an area and see how the rabbits react to it, Shawna. I hadn’t thought of it for that application (though you’re right, no need for the cayenne).
I also don’t know about the catmint. Maybe try a mixture along with a regular recipe and spray them next to each other and see if they work the same? It’s all a matter of trial-and-error like I did. 🙂
Hi there! I actually have aphids on my mint plant. Would you happen to have a recipe that could work for it?
Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
I use a simple water-soap combo for aphids, Kathy. First spray as hard as possible to knock as many off as you can. Then mix up a quart of water, a squirt of dish soap and a pinch of cayenne pepper in a spray bottle. Spray this over all the affected areas as many times as needed until they’re gone.
Let me know if that helps!
Thank you, I will let you know in a couple of weeks or so. I’ve tried this combo before for my other herbs in the past but it didn’t seem to work 🙁
However, perhaps it will work this time. I have given it a good spray a couple of times with the shower head spray. They are hard to find. It seems there are not many, but they are certainly causing alot of problems for the mint. See how it goes this time! Thanks again! 🙂
Question PLEASE!!!
I am trying your Garlic Mint Miracle Spray. I hope it helps repel Japanese Beetles; we will see. But my question is this: What do you do with the solids left over from making the spray? I have considered putting them on the soil around a particularly attacked plant (Red Hopi Amaranth). Or just into the compost pile? Your advice will be greatly appreciated.
I just compost it, Barbara.
Hi Jami My name is Marsha and I live in Florida zone 9-10. I have St. Augustine grass and a problem with chinch bugs killing it. I can’t afford to have a lawn company spray. Would you give me your best guess as to whether or not the Garlic-Mint spray might work? I would prefer to kill them. If not I’m afraid that they will just move to another area and resume their destruction. Thanks for your thoughts on this and do you have any other suggestions?
This is a repelling spray, as far as I can tell (I haven’t done scientific tests or anything like that), Marsha, so I don’t think it’s what you are looking for unfortunately. I’ve never even heard of that bug, but it doesn’t sound good. 🙁
Could I use peppermint essential oil? If so how much would you recommend?
I talk about that in the FAQ: https://anoregoncottage.com/diy-garlic-mint-garden-insect-spray-testimonials-faqs/
Hello, do you know for what specific types of bugs this spray works? Thanks for sharing!
It’s a matter of trying and seeing if it works for your garden, Mallory. That’s how many natural remedies are – they work for some things and not for others. Many, many have had success with it, so I think it’s a large number of bugs that it repels.
I made this, desperate for a solution to the months attacking my mint plants this year and my basil. It worked. The next day very few months. The day after that none. In one week my mint and basil plants are growing strong again. I will definitely keep this mixture around. Thank you.
Just to clarify – months were not attacking my plants but moths were:)
Another happy report – yay! Thank you so much for letting us know your results, Donna – the more we know how it works for others, the better for us all. 🙂
Hello:)
I just wanted to thank you for sharing this absolutely amazing bug spray recipe, it really works like magic!!!
All my plants became so much healthier, stronger and bigger after only one application! It’s a miracle!!! Thank you:)!!!
Yay!!! So happy to read this – thank YOU for letting me know. 🙂
Hi does this mint and garlic spray harm or repwll lady bugs
It may repel lady bugs, since it repels other insects. I just use it long enough for the plants to grow strong enough to withstand the other insects.
Can this be used on tomato plants without damaging them?
Yes, I successfully used it on tomatoes. I sprayed in the morning, though, to make sure the leaves didn’t burn. You can always test a small area for a day to see how they react.
Click the green arrow, Jeannie!
Can I use the mixture I made last summer or should I make a new batch?
You can try, Elaine – it won’t hurt your plants. But when I used an old batch (I think it was 3 months old), I found it didn’t work as well. 🙁
Thanks! I made a new batch ????
I’m wondering why we need to peel all that garlic if the whole mix is going to go thru the food processor, then be strained. It seems like the skins wouldn’t get thru the strainer. Maybe I’m missing something, but I really don’t like peeling all that garlic if there is a way to avoid it.
Go ahead and leave the peels, Becky – you’re right, maybe it doesn’t. I just do it out of habit. 🙂
Are you talking about PEPPER MINT PLANTS in your bug recipe ?
Either peppermint or spearmint has worked for me, Don. I think any strong scented mint would work (there are some that are more mild).
I would like to make some of this but I’m unsure what type of mint you’re using. Is it Peppermint, Spearmint, etc. The bugs are eating our garden and I don’t want to use a toxin. Thanks for sharing.
Any strong mint works for this, Jerry. I’ve grown and used both spearmint and peppermint.
We just made this! Ironically every plant has pests eating away in our garden. Except the mint! So I know they hate mint and won’t chomp on their leaves. I saw this recipe with mint and new I needed to try it 🙂 thank you!
Fingers crossed it works for you like it did for me!
Can I use Dr. Bronner’s Fair Trade & Organic Castile Liquid Soap instead if dish soap?
Yes, I’ve done that and it seems to work.
Hello-
It is so nice to read about someone who cares about other “garden people” and not selling some book or other literature! I am not in need of the bug juice, but just love to read about gardening tips. I am so stoked that I finally was able to kill my aphids. My poor hibiscus (50+ in all colors) were caked in the damned things. I read about a mixture of water and liquid dish soap. I used 1 tablespoon to a liter of water because they were so bad and sprayed them all twice in one week. What a job, thank god my bogan villas seem pretty hardy. The weather can get pretty hot here so I might have made a mistake planting 6 gardenias. After the summer season is over, I will find out how hardy they are. I figured that if the nursery sells them, they must be able to survive here! I have never been much of a plant lover but moving here got me into planting mode. Take care and best wishes from Leise in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
50 hibiscus? Wow, would I love to see that! It sounds stunning. I have used the soap-and-water method to get rid of aphids, as well – it’s a good one. I hope you will find more gardening tips you can use here, though I know that warmer climates don’t get as many of the bugs as we do up north, but then you do have to deal with the heat.
I hope your gardenias make it too, Leise! Though I hate to tell you that in my experience the nurseries will sell anything they think people will buy, whether it’s a good fit for the climate or not. 🙁 If they seem stressed or don’t produce buds, you can try growing them in containers in order to move them to shade when it gets hot and keep an eye on making sure they’re watered enough. Hopefully they’ll do great where you have them.
Do you know if it would work on fire ants? I have chickens along with my garden so I don’t want to use anything to harm the chickens either. I hate fire ants! I’ve been bitten so many times already the last couple of months I’m ready to kill them ALL ?
Well, this acts more of a repellent than a pesticide and we don’t have fire ants (though I feel your pain!), so I can’t say. Maybe something like straight vinegar down the hole? Have you explored other natural option? Sorry I can’t be of more help!
what is c.water?
“c.” stands for cup, our standard American measure. 1 cup = 8 oz., so the 12 cups water needed for this recipe would equal 96 oz. (or 3/4 of a gallon/3 quarts).
Thanks
I tried it out on my bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) and my Moringa trees that had been bug ridden. The effect on the bitter leaf was miraculous, new growth and beautiful leaves in a matter of weeks. The moringa trees loved it too. Thanks for sharing.
Hi
Thank you for the recipie! I ve taken peppermint tea, since there was no fresh mint at the store. I dont have bugs, but i thought maybe it is preventual!?!
I use it only when I have a bug problem.
Hi would this work for something eating my strawberry leaves ???
It may, Karen – it’s worth a try. You’d know within a couple days to a week.
I haven’t read all the comments, but the first thing I thought of when I saw the pictures was slugs. That is exactly how my plants look after a night of slug feasting, even my hollyhocks.
I’m just curious how does the bio-degradable soap do for the mix?
Do you mean what it does for the mix, Aleena? It helps the mixture stick to the plant better.
I just found this article when I googled organic bug spray. My tomatoes are COVERED in Aphids. I’m debating whether or not to make some now and use it immediately or wait until next spring. We can have a killing frost anytime here in Colorado… There were a gazillion posts on this thread an I only read about half of them. What have you heard about using this spray on roses? I’m glad to read that bees are not affected.
I haven’t tried it Jennifer, but I don’t think it would work on aphids since it’s a repel-by-smell type of bug spray. I have had some luck on roses for Japanese beetles, but they were not heavily infested. It’s kind of a try-and-see sort of spray – it works for some things and not others. 🙂
It will work! I had the same problem and my plants looked dead. they came back like magic.
I’m wondering why the need to cook the ingredients? Is the idea to extract more oils? I would have guessed that cooking rather than just soaking the garlic would actually reduce it’s effectiveness but seems perhaps not.
It’s what allows the scents to infuse into the water, just like any infusion.
I live in Southwest Va.. I have Hibiscus and I have the non shiny leave ones. There are many small hole in a lot of the leaves mainly on the bottom of each stem. Will this work? The other issue in my backyard is Japanese Beetles… Black spots on my rose bush too. Something is eating my rose bush leaves , holes in them. I put up a small above ground pool and the Japanese Beetles love it and are floating in the pool everyday even though I bough that hanging thing to bag them. I do get a lot with the bag too. Is Dawn Bio-degradable?
I don’t have experience with hibiscus, Kathleen, but I have tried this on my roses for Japanese Beetles and it seemed to help some. BUT I didn’t really have that bad of an infestation – not sure it would repel them if they aren’t going to the bag. Dawn is not biodegradable – you want to use Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyers, or castile soap – or another that specifically says biodegradable.
Thanks Jami.. I do have the beetle bags up and catching them. I had the beetles in Vermont too. They love water.. I am more worried about my Hibiscus. It is so pretty , there is a photo ,I used it on my timeline photo.
It is Beautiful.
THANKS
Please do not kill the Bees they are very important to our food
This is a repelling spray, Lila! We have bee hives on our acre and they are not harmed – we love our bees. 🙂
Will it work for leafminers? I’ve had horrible trouble with leafminers the last 3 summers. Usually they attack primarily the pepper leaves (although mature onion blossoms seemed to attract the parasitice wasps that get rid of them 🙂 ), but now they are going crazy on my squash plants. Worst part is since we have no frost here, they never really go away, even in the winter. My pepper plants from last year had no leaves (3 of the 5 died) until the onion plants flowered
I don’t think this will work on leafminers, Amber. This is a repelling spray – I think you’d need a neem oil or something like that to kill them or interrupt their life-cycle.
I’ve tried been oil. It worked for cucumber beetles, but it has never had an effect on leafminers
Here goes nothing! My strawberries need a little help. My herb beds, on the other hand, have been pretty much left intact. So, I have done a preemptive strike on all of it, to include a bit of the grassy area around the bed. I’m just hoping that it’s not over kill.
Let us know how it goes!
Do you have a recommended “biodegradeable dishwashing liquid.” There are so many types and want to make sure I get the correct one.
Thanks
I’ve used Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyers, and Dr. Bronner’s soaps over the years, Amanda, and they’re all good!
Does it matter the kind of mint? I have spearmint available.
I’ve used both spearmint and peppermint, Kim – either works!
Where can you store this?
I store it in our garden shed. It loses it’s potency after 2-4 weeks, so I’m wondering about storing it in the fridge for longer storage, though I haven’t yet.
How long will the spray keep?
It’s starts losing it’s potency after a couple weeks (I just keep it in the garden shed – maybe it would last longer refrigerated?), so I try to use it within that time frame.
No one can argue with photo proof 🙂 I usually do it with boiling hot peppers, but that is kind of dangerous, because it is too strong and you should only apply while it’s shady or night, and that’s just a really small amount because it may burn the plant’s foliage. I think I like your solution more. Will be sure to give it a try. Thank you, Jami 🙂
Thank you for this! I just made a batch last night and the house smells amazing! Can’t wait to spray and keep the spiders off my basil!
I will create this spray. Let’s see what happens. Then I will report back my observation. Thanks!
Great recipe! I like the idea of incorporating mint and cayenne! If I don’t use the whole batch after I make it any idea how long I can store it? Thanks!
The longer it sits, the less potent I’ve found it to be, Matthew. That said, I’ve used some that has sat for 2-3 weeks and seemed to work good.
Can you use spearmint instead of mint? I have spearmint that has taken over my rock wall, grows in between the blackberries, and generally is a nuisance. I pull up lots of it when I get a chance, but it keeps coming back. Reminds me of bamboo, which one of my friends made the mistake of planting.
Yes, you can use any type of strong mint.
Tried this today on everything in my garden, I hope it works! Earwigs and pill bugs are a big problem as well as the bugs I can’t see! I have the beer traps out, but they still are chomping away at the basil, lettuce, beans, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. I hope to win this battle!
Let us know how it works for you!
The first time I read this I thought it said bear traps LOL
What kind of biodegradable soap do you usually use?
I use either Seventh Generation or Mrs. Meyers, Brianna.
Does this work on fig trees? I have ants on mine. I read in the comments to place some cinnamon powder around the base of the plant, but wanted to know since no one’s mentioned fruit trees. Thanks.
I haven’t tried that, Jamie – not sure if the smell would repel ants or not. Maybe run a test?
I’m excited to try this. I think it will work to repel the deer that like to eat everything I have planted and spent lots of money on. I know that deer don’t like mint and garlic, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I’ll let you know if it works.
That would be fantastic to know, Rhonda – I hope it works!
Oh man, so i just made my first batch of this. I have basil that likes to get eaten, and now i can see my zucchini plants have spots on their leaves, similar to the basil. I just gotta say, making this in an apartment, will stink up the place. So leave a window open, and make sure you don’t look over the pot/get steam in your eyes. I’ll post next week to let you know how it turned out!
Thanks for the recipe!
Jami,
Thank you so much for answering everyone questions. I’m going to try your recipe this year. We are in Northern California, way north, and if there’s a bug well… we have it. Last year we planted broccoli and ended up pulling them out due to Harlin bugs which I have never seen before. In addition we have rats, mice, gophers, cats, bunnies. So this sound like the prefect spray. I really hope it works on grasshoppers too. Happy gardening.
Wow, I hope so, too – it sounds like you’re in a battle! 😉
Jami,
Yes we are! The soil here is not good, too far from the river. Nice rock hard red dirt, so we garden in raised beds. The temperature can get 114 during the summer.
The garden is always a challenge but it’s worth every effort we put into it. For both the produce and the state of mind we get from it. Nothing like getting your hands dirty and sharing it with your grandchildren.
Thank you for this bug recipe, I’m going to try it for aphids. We seem to have so many right now. Why do you bring it to the boil? I’m wondering if I need do that. Might just try it raw. What do you think? Many thanks for your help.
The boiling and letting it sit helps infuse the water with the spices and herbs. You could probably do it raw, but it won’t be as potent.
Can this spray be used on rose bushes? I would love to use my rose petals for soap, but don’t know if it will work on roses.
I’ve used it with good success on roses, Rhonda, spraying mainly the leaves. You only need to spray a couple times for the bugs to leave, so the petals of the flowers shouldn’t have any residue.
Could I use peppermint essential oil instead of mint leaves?
You can try, Amanda, but I don’t know the equivalent ratio – do you? I’m thinking should work the same!
Is using this solution safe for most all plants? I’m looking to treat ponytail bonsai infested with root mealy bugs.
I haven’t found it to harm any plant I’ve used it on, Jason, but don’t have that plant. Maybe test a part?
I wonder if this would protect roses from a greedy locust?
It seemed to work on Japanese beetles last year on my roses, Niki – it just may!
It worked greatly on my cantaloupe, Jami! I followed your instruction except for mint. Because I couldn’t find it in market, I replace it by Cuban oregano. Although some leaves were burn slightly, I defeated aphids at undersides and an unknown leaf necrosis. Interestingly, I could control a fungus disease within only infected leaves by your mixture too.
SO great to know this, Khoi – thanks for letting me know!
Saw you on Hometalk–pinned and going to give it a try! Thanks!
Thanks so much for this recipe. I know I’m a little late on this comment board, but I just found this on Pinterest. Mint also repels fireants and garlic is a natural antibiotic. The soap portion is to make sure the mint/garlic/pepper won’t just roll off the plant and into the soil.
In our commercial nursery and chemical store, we sold a product called “Spreader Sticker”, which acted just like the liquid soap does in this recipe. I do know that the soap can make the plants very susceptible to sunburn and/or wind burn. Great recipe!
Debbie… (0;
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Thanks for your comment, Debbie, that’s very helpful to know! It may be a plant-by-plant issue, but I’ve not noticed sunburn on the basil plants.
can this be used on a aquaponic system meaning will it harm the fish?
Sorry, Frank, I know zero about fish and how this would affect them!
Just wondering if your spray is dangerous to beneficial insects such as bees? I’d like to try something for my plants getting nibbled on but I’m afraid to use this since you said it could kill Insects that rub against it.
Thanks!
SB
It mainly repels by smell and I have hives on my property and they haven’t been affected, so I say, yes, it’s okay for beneficials! (I’ve never seen dead bugs, so I don’t know if it is strong enough to kill even if the bug ingests it – which bees do not).
Awesome idea, I have just started a herb/veggie garden and want a organic way to deter pests. I’m in Australia i don’t think we have Dawn soap. If i use a natural/Organic dish soap would this work ?
Hi Sarah! I don’t use Dawn soap either, not sure where you saw that – maybe in the comments? Anyway, I only use a biodegradable soap which is natural/organic so yes, that’s perfect!
I wonder how it would work with my apple tree and cherry trees? has anyone tried fruit baring trees?
I haven’t, Andrea, but I tested it on roses this year and it worked for me.
Thanks, i think its worth a shot. most the apples left are riddled with different creatures lol i saw an earwig crawl out of one the other day.. couldnt hurt to experiment now for next years crop..I was wondering what vinegar would do and am happy I found this recipe 🙂
I’m trying it right now & whew, does it smell!! If you have a bbq with a side burner you’d be better off doing it outside. I started to boil it in the kitchen & went outside & I’m really glad I did!!
Once I’ve tried it, I’ll repost to tell you how it works. Right now it smells so bad I think it will also repel our nosy neighbors!
(right now I’m thinking this will work with my diet! I couldn’t eat anything right now if I had to!)
Hi I have all sorts of herbs. Mint, Basil, even chamomile I. I have things like snow peas, chilli, eggplant, raspberry, strawberries, cos lettuce, English and cherry tomato, . And a few others
Would you say its safe to use this spray on those plants?
Thanks in advance
Yes, I’ve used in on many different plants and it works great.
YOU SAVED MY SQUASH!!!
Seriously this stuff is AMAZING. this is literally my very first year going full bore on a garden (seriously I think I have one of everything haha) and my three acorn squash vines I had grown from seed over many weeks, and we’re now a good 5-6′ each and neatly growing up my trellis as planned.
Then three nights ago I stepped outside or check on things (which o do a lot because it is hot as heck during the day here 100F+) and every single female blossom on my vines was absolutely riddled with baby squash bugs. Things had going so well I never even checked my plants for eggs of any kind) and seemingly overnight, bug-megeddeon. I was freaking out, sifting through tons of articles and how-tos until I came upon this one.
I’ve been very diligent about keeping things 99.9% organic in my garden. I didn’t want to douse it with toxins. But I wasn’t going down without a fight. Quick zip over to the store for a few handfuls of mint (had eveything else on hand, so it only cost me $2.50!) and brewed it up. I will say the smell after boiling lingered for ages, but wasn’t overpowering.
The next day I strained it and sprayed it. And crossed all my fingers.
NOT ONE BUG SINCE. None! Zip! Zero! it’s a miracle! And my vines are already rebounding!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
-Laurie
Awesome!!! So thankful you let us know it works on squash bugs, too, Laurie!
OK I sprayed a couple of days ago. Just did small sections on each plant, till I could see how they reacted. No bad reactions so far. So I sprayed the rest of the plant. Still OK. I saw a Lot of white flies come out from under the leaves. I will say I didn’t use two whole garlic. I had the big elephant garlic. It is to soon to see any new growth. But I have seen the results of it working as a deturant. One unusual reaction, I have Japanese Beatles on my contorted hazelnut, I sprayed them directly and they stopped trying to make babies ( if you know what I mean) LOL. I also only had dawn dish soap to use, which I’ve used before with no problems. Thanx so much for this recipe.
★★★★
I’ve recently been experimenting with this on Japanese Beetles and I’m seeing less damage on my roses, too, Kim!
Hello! Does anyone know if this spray works for ants? Thanks!
How hard is it to wash off plants (like your basil) before eating the plant leaves?
I just do the normal rinse like usual and haven’t noticed any taste, though I usually wait a week or so to harvest.
Can you use this for ants? They are attacking my tomato plants and hot peppers.
Hi Sasha! Ants won’t harm your plants, they’re more of a nuisance and they ‘farm’ insects like aphids and mealy bugs that WILL harm your plants. All that to say – if there are a lot, you’ll probably want to deter them, but your plants are safe from them. I think it may work, since mint is one of the smells that they don’t seem to like (cinnamon is supposed to be another – it might be worth sprinkling some around the base of your plants after spraying with the mint-garlic). Let us know if it does work!
Jami – does this kill “good bugs” ie. ladybugs?
Thank you.
Mazell
My understanding is that it works by repelling insects with the smell – anything that decides to try and eat it may be harmed by the bit of hot pepper, but that’s not beneficial insects, so No, it shouldn’t kill them. AND I’ve never seen any dead ladybugs and I still have plenty in my garden. 🙂
should the left over spray be refrigerated?
I haven’t, Kyleen, but you can – it may stay fresher, but I haven’t tried it.
This stuff works!!! I have been using it for a little over a month and there isn’t anything crawling or destroying my garden! I have a few ants and some pesky slugs..but other than that my basil, tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, green onion, parsley, and some strawberries are going untouched!! Thanks soo much!!
Really happy to know your experience with the spray, Stephanie! Enjoy your bountiful garden. 🙂
What kind of mint do I use in this spray? Does it matter?I have chocolate mint, peppermint, spearmint, and pineapple mint in my garden. Something is destroying my basil plant.
I don’t think it matters, Judy. I used both peppermint and spearmint.
Oh….one more thing….when using diatom. earth – put it in an old spice bottle with a shaker. Makes application a lot easier and you don’t waste any.
Thanks for these tips, Wendy!:)
I just found this, but a couple of weeks ago I mixed up almost this same recipe with mint essential oil, olive oil infused with garlic, a small amount of Cheyenne pepper, a squirt of dish soap and water…no cooking. I had aphids in mass on my apple tree. Sprayed it down and removed the affected leaves – 3 weeks later everything is healthy and no bugs in sight. I used the left overs in my garden (but avoided the peas and beans because they don’t like onions and garlic). Everything is doing great. I went back and hit the peas and beans with a neem oil / water mix. I found one earwig in my garden this AM (he’s toast) nothing else.
I can’t wait to try this! Does it matter what kind of mint leaves? I have spearmint in my garden, could I just use that?
I can’t wait to try this! Doesn’t matter what kind of mint leaves? I have spearmint in my garden.
Nope, I used both spearmint and peppermint, Stephanie. 🙂
I used the mixture of garlic and mint on my garden veg. and it seems to be working great, thanks for the info.
★★★★★
Good to know your experience, Lisa – thanks for taking the time to give an update!
Will give this a try as my basil gets eaten after my first pesto raid every year, that is if we make it even that far! Thanks for posting!
I can’t believe after looking through all of these comments that not one person commented on the smell! My whole entire house stinks. I made this yesterday morning and it still smells like garlic and mint. My husband even complained about it. I washed the pans in this dishwasher and they still smell as well as my dishwasher! I certainly hope this works. I just sprayed it on my plants and will see how they do. I guess if it keeps the bugs away it will be worth it!
★★★
Sorry, Sue! No one in our house noticed anything terrible, and I actually think it smells kinda good – the mint does that for me. Maybe you’ll have to make it outside and just hand wash in the future?
The smell goes away! I made it yesterday and it smelled at first but today its gone! 🙂
We raise honey bees. Will this spray on plants hurt them?
We have bees on our property, too, and I haven’t noticed it – it mainly works from scent repelling. The chili pepper may hurt a bug that ingests it, but that’s not bees. They’ll stay away though, and may not pollinate, so you only want to use this a couple times to get a result and then ease up.
Ladybugs and bees are beneficial insects as ladybugs are predators of many pests of plants and the bees help in pollination.
★★★★★
I wondering, I’ve made the mint/garlic pesto and I feel like chunks are going to clog the spray bottle nozzle? I haven’t tried it yet bc it has to sit in the fridge over night, do I strain the mixture? Also, how long can I keep the mixture in the spray bottle until it goes bad?
Yes, Alicia, the recipe says to strain it into your application bottle. 🙂
what kind of mint? I only have peppermint, will that work?
Yep, any kind of strong mint should work! I used a combo of spearmint and peppermint.
Instead of discarding the strained mint and garlic, I’m going to spread it around a damp problem area in my yard and see if it cuts down on the Mosquitos. Couldn’t hurt right?
No – I’ll be curious to see if that works at all, Shelli!
Wondering what happens if you don’t let it sit overnight…? I’m too excited to wait! I want to use it now! Haha. 🙂
It wouldn’t be as strong, Ashley, so may not work as well. Can you strain only some of it and apply right away to see if it works? Then you’d still have some left of the strong stuff to use. 🙂
I am having trouble with white cottony looking stuff or bugs on my rose stems. Do you think this would work to clear them away?
“White cottony stuff” sounds like mildew to me, Janis, and this won’t help that – you’ll need something to fight fungal diseases. There are some good ones for organic gardens in the stores and you can Google if there are people who’ve tried homemade fungicides, but I haven’t yet. 🙂
If you see bugs, too, you can try this, though if they’re just aphids (little green bugs), then a good blasting of water will get them off. Hope that helps some!
Glad I found this on Pinterest – going to mix some up. I’m worried with that much garlic though, and it steeping overnight…. my house is going to smell like garlic for a month!! : ) Still worth it – slugs and who-knows-what-else are eating everything, especially my basil!
The smell isn’t too bad, Stacey, but if it bugs you it can always steep in a garage, shed, or even outside on a patio. 🙂
I would like to know if it would be ok to spray it on my vegetable plants. I’m starting a small garden with squash, bell pepper and tomatoes. Thanks.
Yep, it’s safe for anything, really, Tonya. I used it successfully on beans as well that we talked about in our video about this spray, too – have you seen that?
Is this safe to make inside a home? I made it, and phew it is POTENT!!!
It’s just foodstuff, so safe, but yes potent and chilies can make your eyes water and such, so I’d be careful with it like I am with chilies when cooking with them. 🙂
Just made a batch of this to try tomorrow. I hope it doesn’t keep away good bugs, like bees. Anyone know if it does or not?
We have hives on our acre property and I haven’t noticed any issue, but I don’t use it a lot – just on the things that need it a few times during the season.
Can I use chilli powder instead of cayenne powder?
Chili powder is a mix of a bunch of different seasonings, Stephanie (if you’re talking about the chili powder we use to make chili and not a powder from a specific chili only), so it would be diluted I think and may not work as well. Your call, though!
Thank you Jami for this recipe. I use to try it in my garden because I hate any chemical sparys – it make no sense to have own vegetables and fruits and treat them by chemicals.
Thanks a lot 🙂 and greetings from Poland.
Anna
Does this make the plants/veggies taste like garlic? (Even after you’ve rinsed them) I’ve tried everything to get rid of the role polies that eat my strawberries aside from actually using pesticides but this may work. I get queasy from garlic though.
I only needed to use it 1-2 times the whole season and never noticed a taste, though I didn’t harvest for a few days after applying. I used it on beans, basil, and flowers, but never strawberries, so I don’t know about those, though.
Hi there, I tried to read the thread, but its very long LOL!
Does it matter if you use “peppermint” or “spearmint”?
Thanks, can’t wait to try this:))
Nope, either work, Terri!
Hello!!
Quick question! I dont have biodegradable soap so do ou think regular soap is okay or should I go out and buy some?
I’d really encourage you to buy some, Karen, just so you know exactly what you’re putting on your plants (especially edible plants). 🙂
Thanks for the tips!
I havê a farm in Brasil and now i begin to plant some medicinal planta, i will try tour tip.
I also make a spray without garlic or dish soap (lavender, rosemary, mint) to spray on myself (ankles mostely) before gardening in the early morning. It is quite effective, but does not last. By the time the sun is out and bugs have gone into hiding for the day it is worn off, so no biggy. It smells way better and is not harmful like most bug sprays.
Love this, too, Ali!
I spray this (+ rosemary and lavender) on my hedges. It keeps the tics out of my yard and my dogs can lay in the shade in peace. And I can plant my flower beds (along my hedge row) with out getting the heeby jeebies.
Wow, really, Ali? That’s great to know – so many pet owners we know have problems with tics and the commercial stuff is nasty and expensive! Thanks for sharing this. 🙂
Yep, when I harvest my lavender I save the lower stems with just leaves as well. They get steeped in hot water then put in jars (leaves and all) and in the spare fridge until the next spring. I do the same with mint, there is always more of that than I need. I usually buy some bulk dried rosemary as mine does not yet grow in abundance. When it gets warm out in the spring, I combine it all into different bottles, depending on it’s use, and beat the bugs to the punch. I bought a great little hand pump sprayer at the dollar store for the hedges. I also use it on bean beetles when they show there ugly heads in my veggie patch. It doesn’t eliminate them completely but in does keep them in more managable numbers. Some hot peppers added to the mix is great on hedges and less delicate plants as well. Tea Tree keeps the mosquitoes at bay but smells pretty strong. I use a few drops of that in any standing water to kill of the larvae.
Ali
How do you make the rosemary,mint and lavender spray? Down here in south Texas we have a major problem with Tics!!
Are you using spearmint, or peppermint? The big green leaves most people grow for tea is spearmint, peppermint looks a bit different and definitely smells different…peppermint oil or extract is different from spearmint.
I ask because I have both in my yard, but a lot more of the spearmint.
I don’t think it matters, Michele, as long as it’s a mint that has a lot of scent. I actually grow pots of both spearmint and peppermint and used a combo to get the amount I needed.
hello :), I was wondering if I could leave out the dish soap? would it still be effective?
You can, of course, Stephanie, but if it doesn’t work as well, you’ll know why. 🙂 (I can’t say for sure, since I haven’t made it any other way)
can u use peppermint ??
I used a combo of spearmint and peppermint, Nana – that’s what I have growing, so I think any strong mint will work.
Does it kill ladybugs?
It doesn’t kill the insects, it repels them (I’ve never found dead bugs anywhere), so I don’t think it would hurt them.
I’m glad to hear that this worked on Lilies. My only concern is if it will help keep away the bunnies. I never had a problem with them until last year. I’m going to try it but didn’t know if this would be harmful or even helpful?
Not sure, Melissa – it works on smell, so if they don’t like it, it might keep them away!
I found this link on Pinterest. I’m a newbie when it comes to gardening, but it’s something that I want to be passionate and successful at. I cannot wait to try this, as my tomato leaves are already being munched on. Thanks!
Great, Heather – I’m so glad you’re becoming a gardener. 🙂 Let us know how it works!
Will this spray kill beneficials like lady bugs?
I don’t really think so, Janine, since I’m pretty sure it works by repelling insects – I never found any dead bugs around any of the plants I treated with it.
made this last night and tried it this morning on my basil, the slugs won’t leave them alone! I will update and let you know how it works out!
I made this and am doing a test run on my vegetable garden. Bussel sprouts, tomatoes, kale, broccoli, and red cabbage. I’m going to give it a few days before I spray everything. I did spray the outside of my raised beds hopefully it will help keep the cats out!
Oh, let us know, Karen – especially about the cats. Wouldn’t that be great if the smell repelled them, too? 🙂
I’m going to try your spray on our roses. We have been having problems with aphids and thrips, which causes stunted growth and brown spots on the roses. Also, the roses don’t open all the way. I made a half batch of your spray last night and will use it as the sun goes down today. I read through all the posts and forgive me if I missed seeing something about this, but I am wondering if I have leftover spray, if the spray needs to be refrigerated. I don’t want it becoming rancid. Thanks for your help.
I just leave the spray in the garden shed, Lesley, and it seems to do okay. Though to be honest, I don’t know how rancidity would affect the spray or the plants – and I’ve never seen it grow mold or anything. Maybe it is different depending on climate?
I really like the recipe and plan to try it. I have lots of garlic but have lost my garden mint so I will need to get a new start. Any particular kind of mint? I always try to have chocolate mint. It is my favorite for flavor. Will Spearmint or Peppermint work?
I am offering you another recipe: for an herbicide that I have been experimenting with. Take one cheap gallon bottle of white vinegar, put in about 1/4 cup of orange oil, about a tablespoon or two of Citric Acid (I use out of date Fruit Fresh) and a couple of squirts of liquid dish soap in a spay bottle and spray as young and tender weeds as possible on as hot and sunny day as possible. It works pretty good, sometimes you will have to do it a couple more times. It is none
selective so be careful what you spray.
Thanks, Stephania, I haven’t heard of mixing the vinegar with orange oil before. I’ll have to try that – selectively as you say. 🙂
I don’t think it matters about the type of mint, but I didn’t experiment with them all. I used what I had, which is a mix of peppermint and spearmint.
I am so excited to try this!! earwigs have eaten my crop every year for the past 3 years, they come out at night and demolish my garden! So I am excited to try this!!!
I hope you’ll let us know if it works on the earwigs, Stacey! Since I don’t know exactly what was eating mine, your feedback may help others who know they’ve got earwig problems.
Thank you for sharing this. I’m growing my 1st veggie garden ever.I started most of the veggies from seeds, but I do have a few broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce plants I bought. I have notice a few nibbles here and there on the leaves from something. Do you think this spray is safe for most vegetable plants? I am going to mix a batch of this up tomorrow and give it a try.
It’s perfectly safe for all plants, Marie! However, this early and what you’re describing makes me think it’s slugs or snails eating the leaves and if so, you’d be better off using a safe slug bait like Sluggo or a trap of some sort (a lot of people like beer in a tuna can, buried at soil level – attracts the slugs and then they drown). If you do this and still have damage, then I’d go for this spray. 🙂
Thanks for the info. I will try that. =)
Definitely going to make this and try it this year. Thanks!
I have an orchard of apple, pear, peach and cherry trees…being a bit new to the fruit harvesting do you think this would be an effective spray for these trees?
I don’t know that much about fruit trees (I have some, but woefully neglect them!), so I can’t answer this, Andrea. Sorry!
Do you mean 2 cloves or 2 whole bulbs of many cloves of garlic?
“2 whole HEADS garlic, cloves separated and peeled” – heads = bulbs in your question, Cheryl. 🙂
Has anyone tried this with mint essential oil instead of real mint?
I know I haven’t, Katie, but it’s worth a try to see how it works. Maybe just mix up a small amt. and do a test somewhere?
The Day Lilies, at our newly constructed home, became infested with aphids – so much so, the leaves were dropping and dying at warped speed. I truly felt that they were “done for” and needed to be removed. As a last attempt, and an experiment, I used your spray. HOLY MOSES..after only a couple of days, any and all aphids that came into contact with the spray, died. I couldn’t believe it! This stuff works, and I can’t wait to use it on our up and coming spring veggie garden. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Oh, MAN – yeah!! Score another for this amazing stuff – and THANK YOU for sharing so we know one more thing to use it for, Sandra. 🙂
We have the “Shield bug” here too…I think it’s called “stink bug” in US. Used the spray 4 or 5 days ago, with none seen again until this evening, did a re spray. Must admit, I failed to add the dishwashing liquid so maybe it didn’t “stick” to the leaves etc. will adjust tomorrow, but thought I’d say a big thank you from Melbourne Australia.
Thanks for letting us know how it’s working for you, Chris, and against what type of bug – that’s super helpful!
A quick update on the use of “Mint/garlic” spray. No more sightings of the pests, and had a thought on the remains of making the concoction…. I hate wasting anything, so thought I’d use the sifted remains and spread them around the base of the plants amongst the mulch… Can’t see it doing any harm…. Except to the bugs!
Awesome to hear about your results, Chris! Good idea about the sifted remains, too.
I had a horrible infestation of squash bugs last year. They would lay their little eggs on the backside of the leaves and everyday I would go searching for them and destroy them, yet the bugs won and just when my beautiful zucchini starting producing, they destroyed the plants one by one. Do you think it would work on them or have you any answers what to do with squash bugs? They look like stink bugs and after the zucchini was gone they started eating on the beans and tomatoes. I too do organic so I don’t want to spray anything I don’t have to on the garden as my 8 year old granddaughter runs through and eats it all raw and loves it, which is wonderful. Thanks for any input. Founds your website by accident and I love it. Will sign up for the emails. I live in cold Indiana!
Sorry for the comment delay, Jean, it was awaiting moderation by me. 🙂 I’ve heard many horror stories like yours from squash bugs – they are terrible, you’re right!! I haven’t dealt with them yet (I hope never…), but I do have bad cucumber beetles every year and while I didn’t do the test with my pole beans like I did with the basil for this post, I did talk about it in the video – it seemed to help and my beans were the best they’ve looked in years! So I would try it and hope that it works for you – and let us know, too, so we can get the word out on what it works on (if you remember)!
Thanks Jami,
I will definitely give it a try and let you know how it does. Happy Gardening!
how about tiny garden snails? do you think it will work on them, too? do you have any DIY recipes for getting rid of garden snails? Thanks!
I’m not sure if the smell would work on snails, Cindy, but you could try! I’ve had luck using diatomaceous earth (dusting on plants and ground around), crushed eggshells (encircling the plant or area), and trapping the snails/slugs with beer in tuna cans.
Salt or baking soda – sprinkled on snails and slugs dries them out
Copper tape – around base of plant or pot. Creates small electric shock to snails and slugs (don’t die)
Crushed egg shells – heavily applied throught your garden bed or around the outside.
Coffee in a spray bottle – spray directly onto slug/snail
Coffee grinds thought your garden
100% pureCaffeine powder in water solution – spray direct ontosnails and slugs. Speeds up their hearts and kills them, like coffee products
My grandparents used to put them in a bucket with salt
Hi, I just read this yesterday (so I can’t say that it works) You place slices and peelings of cucumber in aluminum pie pans (or anything aluminum) and place them in your garden to get rid of slugs and snails. Something about the way the cucumber reacts with the aluminum creates a smell that they can’t stand, but is undetectable to us. As I said, I haven’t tried it, but what have you got to lose ?? A few disposable pie tins & a couple cucumbers 🙂 And if it works,–Wow !! Good luck & if you try, let the rest of us know !! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Jami, looks like you had flea beetles. They are as small as a sesame seed, black, and jump away as soon as you get near, so they’re tough to diagnose. They have in the past eaten my basil and marigolds, like you. Then also they love kale, bok choi, radish and spicy lettuces like mesclun mix, or mustard. They inhabit the soil every year, and only proliferate IF you have something planted early during the egg hatch that they can feed and multiply on. And WHO DOESN’T have their lettuces planted early right?! Most people will notice a rebound in any surviving crops at the end of growing season, once the beetles go back down into the soil when it’s too cold.
Good thought, Tami, and it may have been, although the damage didn’t resemble the flea beetle damage in my main garden (lots of tiny holes instead of completely chewed leaves…). I’m just glad this worked and I’ll start earlier this season with it to try and head off any damage. :0
Okay so this year is going to be my first year to actually stick with gardening…the bugs drive me crazy, I get discouraged and quit. But I like the sound of this spray, can it be used as a preventative as well?
If you know you have a problem beforehand, Sarah, I don’t see why not since it didn’t seem to affect the plants at all. Let us know if that works!
But with watering my garden everyday would’nt it rinse the the spray off? Just wonering Thanks Virgina..
I mainly water at the base with soakers, Virginia, but it did rain and it seems to still be working! (Oh, and deeper, less frequent watering is supposed to create stronger roots and plants…)
How I wish I had kept up with my reading this summer – finding this might have saved me so much grief! Something – not sure what – devastated my okra, beans and several other crops. I know the hornworms got my tomatoes, but I never saw what got the rest 🙁
However, since I am in Florida, and the Fall and winter garden season is just getting underway, I shall be making up a batch of this ASAP to protect my new crops! If it works I will let you know 😉
Great, Sylvia – I hope you do remember to let us know, I really do want to know how it works for others since I was so amazed at the difference it made in my garden. 🙂
In your recipe you use (c), what measurement is this? Difference between American and English…sorry.
An American cup is an 8 oz. measurement but dry is a bit different. This doesn’t need to be exact for our purposes, so just use any medium sized mug or cup to measure your mint (or even just a large handful!). Hope that helps you, Evelyn!
Oh no problem Jami, I should have said dry lol. But thank you again, you’ve been very helpful. 🙂
Honestly I thought there was a difference since tea leaves look like they’ve been dehydrated, but thank you for answering my question. 🙂
Oh, dried mint leaves for tea! I didn’t get the dry part, Aida. 🙂 I think they are the same mint leaves and so should work fine, since you’ll be rehydrating them in the recipe.
Hi Jami, silly question but had to ask…. is itpossible to substitute crushed red pepper for cayenne and also mint tea leaves for the mint, just curious thanks. 🙂
I would think that would work, Aida, since it’s all boiled and steeped together. What’s the difference between mint and mint tea leaves, do you know? I always thought they were the same…
I have to say that since my mint patch is what I need the stuff for that this wouldn’t work for grasshoppers. They are devastating it. I am trying a hot pepper/garlic spray. Done it a couple of times, but not working. Any ideas?
Oh, those little buggers are hard to deal with, Cynthia! I don’t have anything yet for them, as they aren’t horrible for me yet. Sorry!
thanks anyway Jami. If I am left any mint, I will have to try this on other little critters in my garden.
Is it safe to assume that this will not harm my dog? I would like to have her spend more time outside but she seems to invite small flying insects which are causing a terrible rash. I was hoping to spray down her doghouse and the area in which eats and plays. At the present time I am using a combination of witch hazel and essential oils with only a modicum of success.
It would just be the smell of garlic and mint, Lexine, so it’s not harmful to dogs. I just don’t know if it will work on whatever’s bothering your dog – or if she would want to go into her house if it smelled – it might repel her like it does the bugs. 🙂
Try skin so soft from avon, I remember we used this on my dog when I was younger for the same reason and it worked like a charm.
Would you share the recipe and process?
Garlic is not recommended for dogs. I’d suppose that since your dog is not ingesting it it is probably ok but I would check with your vet before making any moves, just in case.
Hmm…..I’m curious if this would work on my oak trees and plants that have some sort of bug that comes along and contributes to the creation of black fungus. When the wind blows I end up with all this black soot on my patio. Serious pain having to sweep and wipe down everything on the regular. I tried the soapy water this past weekend and waiting to see results. But it rains quite a bit here in fl, especially during the summer months; worried that could of already been wiped out. This is worth a try.
It may be worth it for you, Geri, since I commenter (I think on Hometalk) said that the garlic is systemic, making it hold up better in rain than just soap, I’d guess.
Ty for this! Used on honeysuckle , sunflower, and Hausta!
Could you be more specific on how much two squirts of dish soap to use in the recipie? Thanks
It doesn’t have to be exact – I just press the bottle twice. If I were to guess it would maybe equal 1/2 tsp.?
Going to try this, as I have heard that garlic also repels bunnies. Something other than bunnies is eating my plants too.
I live in Arizona and have a terrible time keeping plants from dying especially basil. I love basil and want to know how to keep basil alive. How often do you water it. can it be keep in doors or does basil have to be out doors. I really don’t know how to water plants and basically I know to kept them out of the sun during our hot season but they still dye off. What are the techniques to watering flower plants and basil.
Basil loves water and sunshine, Angela – hard to keep watered in AZ and a little too much sun at times I’d think! I have a really hard time keeping basil adequately watered in pots, so I would suggest planting them in the ground and then using a soaker hose to water deeply every 3-4 days (at least 1″ down). Also, if you buy in pots, I find they always grow a bunch together and basil don’t like that – you need to separate them into individual plants. They may look sad at first, but water them every 2 days for a couple weeks to get them established and then move to 3-4 day schedule. Hope this helps some!
Angela,
I too live in the desert (in CA) and grow basil. The only way I can grow it is on my covered patio in a very large pot. It gets a bit of direct sun in the early morning, but that is it. It is on the edge of my patio so there is plenty of light, just not direct sun. Water well (at least a gallon) every morning and fertilize every couple of weeks. It gets to be about 3 feet tall and kind of woody. Some years I cut it back and bring it inside next to my low windows and it will go all winter (we get below 20 degrees). I start with a approx 10 inch tall basil plant that I buy at Trader Joe’s every year. Have grown from seed as well but the plant gives me a big head start. Good luck!
What about tomato vines?
I’d sure try it if I were having issues with bugs on them, Vickie. Let us know if it works for you!
thanks for sharing this!!! I’m praying it works for me, too!!!
could I use liquid peppermint?thanks
I would think so, Sara, but you’d have to do a bit of research to determine the amount that may be equal to the recipe amount. Too much may burn the leaves, I’d guess.
I read where mice HATE mint so am wondering if this would work in my basement to keep mice out
I don’t know, but I’ve read that peppermint oil on cotton balls may work.
Sounds perfect, thank you for sharing this. I also would like to check how much is ‘3c mint leaves’ (I’m from Australia). I am presuming it is ‘centilitre’, but the abbreviation for that is ‘cl’, so just checking in case ‘c’ is a different quantity.
Let’s see, Roz – I just checked and our 1 cup measure equals 23.66 cl. I had mentioned below that 250ml may be equivalent in Europe, but I don’t know, actually. 😉 It doesn’t really matter for this application – just use lots of mint, like 3 large handfuls of leaves.
This sounds wonderful. Look forward to trying it and thanks so much for sharing such helpful info and also keeping it natural.
Hello! I’m so excited you manage to solve this problem, because my basil is breakfast, lunch and dinner to… I don’t know who :-(. I only have one question: how much is 3c. mint leaves (I’m from Europe)?
We use a 1 c. measure for dry ingredients here, Lenni, for basic recipes (rather than just weight) and that’s what I used for measuring out the mint. I think it would be equivalent to 250ml from what I read, but it doesn’t have to be exact. 3 large handfuls of mint leaves would probably work as well. 🙂
Thanks!
where would you get that much mint leaves I’m in California and I don’t know where I would get mint leaves.
You can usually find mint leaves with other herbs in the produce section of grocery stores. It’s just a handful/bunch, really. I grow a container of it for ice tea – and now this. 🙂
Where to get mint leaves? I live in DC and planted 3 tiny mint plants (3 different veriaties) 8-10 years ago and mint is my biggest weed problem. I love it, so never get rid of it all, but it sprouts everywhere in the garden perpetually.
Every year something chews on my Joseph’s Coat (alternanthera), only on the red never on the chartreuse. I plan to try your recipe before it is totally destroyed. Usually it recovers just before frost but I want to speed the recovery.
Fingers crossed it will work on your plant, Jean! Let us know if it does!
I am thrilled to see this…have lost almost everything in my garden!!!!
I am going to try this bug spray on my roses and see if it will get rid of those nasty little
beatles that eat my roses.
Thanks ever so much
Beth
Oh, if it works, please let us know, Beth, as I’ve had other people ask me that and I don’t have many Japanese beetles to test it out on!
I’m hoping this recipe works against Japanese beetles. They are so bad on my grape vines, roses and crape myrtles and nothing else organic seems to work.
Please let us know if it does, Sandy! I don’t have a problem with Japanese Beetles right now, but I know others do.
did this work on the beetles they love my raspberries?
Try and see, Alana, I think it might!
Good Morning. My question is: Would it hurt my houseplant to spray it on them? I put the plant out all summer and there is one plant (Spider Plant) covered with bugs. Some of the others have them but not bad. It looks like just a shell of as hard shelled bug, light brown and smaller than a Lady Bug. They don’t move either and have a sorta stickiness to them.
Thank you so much for any help.
I don’t think it would hurt your houseplant, Sylvia – it hasn’t hurt any plant I’ve tried it on yet (beans, marigolds & zinnias in addition to the two I pictured). It’s just the bugs that don’t like it. 🙂
hi Sylvia, sounds like you have “Scales”. I had it on my spider plant too. The stickiness is their honeydew, they poop it out after feasting on your trees sap. You’ll notice the rug or floor around the plant gets sticky too, like someone sprayed hairspray everywhere. I pitched the plant after going 3 rounds with the scales. That was before I’d found this recipe though. try it. What’s left to lose but a $40 house plant that will die, or just gross you out anyway.
I’m going to try this for sure I am having the worst gardening year ever!
I wonder if this spray would work on rose bushes. Has anyone tried the spray on flowering bushes or trees?
I haven’t heard of any results on roses or flowering shrubs, Shirley, but now I’m going to try whenever I have a bug problem.
Does it change the taste of the herbs when used?
I suppose if I used them right away it would, but as you can see from the before picture, there wasn’t anything to use. 🙂 By the time there was, it was all new growth that had not been sprayed. So you would have to think about that.
Does this work on grasshoppers? Grasshoppers have killed almost all of our veggies and flowers. Sevin Dust is the only thing we can find that keeps them away. It does not kill them.
I’d try it, Idella, ’cause I don’t really know what was eating these plants. It’s definitely worth a try in a test area!
Thanks for that great recipe. I live in the tropics (Sri Lanka) and we are prone to many insects that attack plants. I have also successfully used the liquid where dried tobacco leaves were soaked overnight with a dash of soap. very effective in eradicating mealy bugs and other insects. Just for your information.
I live in East Texas…If there is a bug in this world…it lives here and in my garden…can’t wait to try this!!! Will let you know.
Am eating winter green onions this month….delicious…
Looking forward to your results, Mary, in your buggy world.:)
Hi I live in central Texas, just wondering if you tried the spray on your garden and did it help. I am new to Texas and have started my very first container garden and already the bugs are having a field day. I hope this helps.
So I’m super curious to know what’s eating and what the spray will work on. If it works on bud worms and root weevil, hallelujah! Worth a shot anyway. How long does a batch last? Do you mix a new one every time, or hold it till you need it again?
I would try it on anything, Mindy! I did use it on the beans in the garden when they were small and the cucumber beetles were having a fine time with them – worked great against them, too. (I just didn’t get pics of that). And you know what? Now that you mention it – the first bunch I sprayed was with some left over from last year! So I think it holds well. I had so much damage this year, though, that I used up two more batches, ha!
It really sounds great and I love to try it.
My English is not that good and I wondered where the “c.” in your receipt stands for.
Is it a cup or centilitters and “tsp” is that a table spoon or tea spoon???
Can’t wait to make and try it.
Thanks,
Ria
The “c.” stands for an American cup measurement, which is 8 oz. and “tsp.” is teaspoon (I don’t know the metric equivalent – I think there’s info online on how to do that). You don’t have to be too worried about exact measurements, though, Ria, – just use around these amounts of the ingredients and it will work!
Tsp is 5mL. Cup is just under 1/4 L. I think it’s 240mL if I remember correctly
Thanks for the recipe Jami, I will definitely give this a try. Due to very mild winters over the last 4 years we have quite the pest problem here in The Netherlands. Mice, aphids, white fly, you name it. Anything that can ward them off and isn’t toxic is worth a try!
Ria, going by your name I’m guessing your Dutch too. Een cup is 236 ml. De AH verkoopt een handige set van plastic cup maatjes, maar de meeste maatbekers tonen tegenwoordig ook Amerikaanse cup maten.
can we use for all plant or just basil plant?? ( excuse my english !!!)
Try it on anything, Michelle! I’ve used it successfully on herbs, flowers and bean plants.
c I believe is cup and tsp is teaspoon
Yes, you’re right, Desiree – thanks!
hi Rita, een cup is 200 ml, je maakt dus 2,4 l in een keer met dit recept.
Succes!
I sprayed my zinnas and wildflowers with this exact spray. Followed the recipe exactly…and the next day all of my flowers a’re not only eaten they are wilted and shriveled. 🙁 I am heartbroken.
Oh my goodness, Michelle, I’m sorry! I did use it on marigolds successfully, but not the varieties you did. I’m surprised, since you can see how healthy the other plants did with it. 🙁 Thanks for letting us know, I’ll have to do some experiments.
I see michelle had a bad experience on her flowers, I take I should not try on my house plants then?
I haven’t had any issues, James, though I haven’t used it on houseplants. I think harsh sun might’ve caused the issue with Michelle’s flowers, which wouldn’t matter inside. I suggest making a small batch and doing a test area to see what happens.
Is there any way to half or quarter the recipe
You can just make half, I think, Melissa.
We live in southern OR and this year have lost half of our 3000 sf garden to this pest. Just discovered about a week ago what it was by doing some night hunting with a flashlight…. slugs. Thousands of them. So depressing and so devastating. We’ve grown everything from seed and are losing about a dozen plants every night. Definitely going to try this. Thank you.
Beer works best for slugs. Take empty beer cans and cut them in half. Bury the bottom halves, just to the rim, throughout your garden and fill half way with beer. The beer draws them in and they drown.
Hi Nate,
Just wondering if you did try this for the slugs. I also have a terrible slug problem and feel I’ve tried everything. If you tried this, how did it work?
I’m very interested. My herbs have been hit hard for years, especially my MINT. It seems there are small bugs in one of my beds, so when I remove some mint and put it in a pot on our balcony away from the bed, it grows perfectly. So I might try this spray – see if I can rescue some of my basil and thyme.