Natural Insect Spray For Plants (A DIY That Really Works!!)
Tired of pesky pests taking over your plants? Check out this amazing all natural insect spray for plants, made with all-natural ingredients like garlic and mint. Easy to make and use, this homemade garden garden spray was tested on badly attacked basil plants & a flowering vine and worked with only 2 applications! Say goodbye to harmful chemicals and hello to a healthier, greener garden.
“SIX Stars!! Oh my goodness…..this is the BEST insect plant spray I have come across!!! I was so tired of grasshoppers (or something) eating and destroying my dwarf cantas! They were still trying to bloom, but they looked awful! Mixed this and sprayed. THREE days later, my cantas have new, shiny, beautiful leaves again!! This stuff is AMAZING!” -Cheryl B.
Welcome to one of my most popular gardening DIYs: how to make a natural insect spray easily from pantry ingredients like garlic and mint – that actually works! Be sure to check out these other resources for more information on this bug repellent:
- 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, I’m SO excited to finally share with you the results of a get-rid-of-nasty-garden-bug experiment I’ve been conducting on my poor, bug-eaten basil plants and trumpet vine. 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 the issue (and losing plants or living with damaged plants).
- 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).
And 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.
Because of this I created a spray (adapted from a Keeper of the Home article) to use on the basil, but didn’t really keep track of it (because I wasn’t sure it would work…), although I do remember that it did, in fact, work.
So the following year when our basil was hit particularly hard, as well as some marigolds I planted among the herbs and a trumpet vine growing up the gazebo nearby, I mixed up a batch, wrote it down this time 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!
DIY Natural Insect Spray For Plants: The Experiment
1. Bug Eaten Basil
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.
2. Almost Dead Basil
Now, I had to share this with you as well, even though the photos were not taken in great light. The plant on the left, above, 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 actually 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, ha!), 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, 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.
3. Trump Vine Damage
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.
All Natural Insect Spray Video (with even more examples)
How to Make A Natural Insect Spray for Plants
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 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 (see recipe card below for exact measurements).
- Use a food processor or blender to grind up fresh mint and a LOT of garlic.
- Transfer the mixture to a large stockpot with 12 cups of water and some cayenne.
- Boil, remove from heat and let sit overnight.
- STRAIN with a fine-mesh strainer into a couple spray bottles or large gallon garden sprayer – add a couple squirts of biodegradable dish soap.
That’s it! Shake well before using and spray all over and under the plant’s leaves one time. See how the plant responds after a week or two and reapply if needed (I only need a couple applications before the plant is strong enough to withstand the bugs).
I’m so happy to share this with you 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 (Update: some commenters have said the garlic-pepper part did bother them, so when you’re boiling, use adequate ventilation.)
Testimonials and FAQs
Don’t forget to read the Testimonials & FAQ where you’ll find answers to the most common asked questions as well as results from those who’ve used it!
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Natural Insect Spray for Plants Recipe
Tools
- Food Processor
- Large Stockpot
- Strainer
- Spray Bottles
Materials
- 2 whole HEADS garlic, cloves separated and peeled
- 3 cups mint leaves and stems, too – I just throw it all in now
- 2 teaspoons dry cayenne pepper
- 12 cups water
- 2 small squirts of biodegradable dishwashing liquid
Instructions
- Add the garlic and mint to a food processor and pulse for a few seconds.
- Transfer mixture to a large pot and add the cayenne and 12c. water.
- Bring to a boil; remove from heat and let sit overnight.
- Strain into a couple spray bottles (or gallon garden sprayer) and add the two small squirts of dish soap.
- To Use:
- Shake well before each use.
- Spray all the leaves on affected plants, including the undersides – preferably on a cloudy day so as not to burn the plants.
- Wait a few days to see the effect and then apply more if needed (many times I’ve only needed to do one application)
Video
Notes
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.