Bulk Purchase Insecticidal Soap
westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
7 months ago
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Insecticidal Soap vs Chemical Sprays
Comments (29)I know this may not be practical for most, but here is what I did for snails: My property use to be very heavily infested with snails. Huge snails. They took a toll on some of the plants. Two years ago here in San Diego, we had fairly frequent and spaced out light showers. I live on a cul-de-sac and own the two empty lots next door. I also live on a hillside. Consequently, I have a lot of succulent groundcover. Everytime it sprinkled, the snails would come out, so I'd just go out and pick 'em and smash them in the middle of the street. I did this for about three months--everytime it rained or sprinkled. The street looked pretty yucky. Well, that was two years ago and now I ALMOST NEVER see a snail. Once in a blue moon I'll see a small one and I'll pick it, but that's about it. -Ron-...See MoreUt oh! IndoorPharm Insecticidal Soap Used Outdoors
Comments (5)Kubotabx2200, you're right! :) It is a pleasant smelling concoction. According to the label, it was developed with scent in mind for indoor use. However, it also mentioned applying at dusk to keep it out of sunlight and give it more drying time, but maybe that applies to indoor spraying as well. In any case, i just checked on the plants, and they don't seem to have suffered any REAL harm. I'll clip off the sagging roses just because they look so sad. It's hard to tell if those aphids that remain on the underside of the leaves are dead or not. They look dead, but are they just trying to trick me so i'll give them another bubble bath? :)...See MoreGarden Safe Insecticidal Soap Concentrate
Comments (16)Insecticidal soap and Neem oil only work on contact. They will kill any soft bodied insect. Ants are not considered a soft bodied insect and that's why it does not work on them. From the document linked below: What is Insecticidal Soap? All soaps are made of salts and fatty acids, but not all soaps are good for killing insects. Some soaps can be highly destructive to plants and are useful as herbicides. Insecticidal soaps, however, are specifically formulated to kill insect pests while having few adverse effects to people, plants and the environment. Insects must come in contact with the soap before it dries in order to be controlled. Therefore, thorough coverage to both tops and bottoms of leaves is essential. Do not apply insecticidal soaps directly to water or use near a water source. Multiple applications are needed to control most insects. Hard water is not effective for mixing soap sprays, so use softened or distilled water for best results. Read on for more info like this. Here is a link that might be useful: Insecticidal Soap...See MoreNematodes and my insecticidal soap concoction
Comments (95)I just finished reading this entire post and am so glad I did! I've been using bleach ( or should I say, did use) since spring up to about June, when the hosta first emerged. However, I was using this treatment to combat slugs. It works well. i missed an area and it shows...neglect on my part, sadly..but what a difference.....no slug bite holes in treated area, lots of holes in untreated area! Little did I know I was also keeping nematodes at bay. What a relief! However, I do have a problem with my beautiful Whirlwind that started end of last week.. I just didnt know the problem was nematodes until now. I hate unsightly leaves and when they appeared I ripped them off. . .3 so far! I slacked off with the bleach treatment after June and Whirlwind is one casualty...hopefully one only. I will be treating the plant and area today after reading these posts. Thank you, All for the comprehensive information, especially "Kines's report" , Bruce's area of expertise as a chemical engineer, and "Playinmud" for posting such a valuable thread that drew out all this extremely useful information. I've earmarked it for easy reference as well. I'll be trying your recipe, Playinmud! :-) Grateful, Jo....See Morewestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
7 months agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
7 months agoCan someone tell me the long-term effects on a Mandevilla if I allow the aphids to thrive on the plant?
If I spray with insecticidal soap or spray the plant with water, I can knock them off for about two days before they reappear en masse, and unfortunately, those efforts destroy the blooms on the plant, so it's not a zero-cost therapy.
If I do nothing, the plant gets a highly invasive infestation of aphids. See the photo below. It looks like that photo everywhere on the Mandevilla now.
Is there any option for a natural predator to keep these in check? What would be the best alternative?
westes Zone 9b California SF Bay
7 months ago
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