A lot of individuals are attempting to get away from using chemicals and nowhere more so than in the use of insecticides in and around the house. The problem is that modern chemical pesticides work, are readily available and are fairly cheap. The same goes for home-produced insecticides, but you have to gather the ingredients and mix them together. Some find this little bit of extra work daunting.
Boric acid is the chief ingredient used in destroying a whole horde of insects. (By the way, it is also the principal ingredient in many commercial insecticides as well, but they mix it for you and quadruple the price. If you do not believe me, look at the ingredients on the box).
Boric acid or borax is made from boron, one of the borates. Borax has been a known pesticide for about a hundred years. It has a variety of effects on different insects, but if an insect has mandibles or jaws, the boric acid will get inside and damage the nervous system. Some insects, like bed bugs do not have these mouth parts, so it is less successful against them, but borax will dry out an insect if it is sprinkled with the powder.
To kill any insects that like sugar, in particular ants, mix one cup of sugar into three cups of water and four teaspoons of borax. Combine them and dissolve it all completely. Get a few jam jars with lids and clean them carefully. Saturate a few cotton balls in your homemade insecticide and place them in each jar. Then replace the tops and make a few holes in each. Place the jam jars, on their sides, in the path of any invading insects. Make sure that the holes are large enough for the insects to get in.
For cockroaches, combine borax with flour, especially cornflour and leave about where they run or you could soak a slice of bread in borax and water for the same effect.
Termites can be eradicated by adding borax powder to any non-poisonous fluid that will seep into wood, propylene glycol for instance, and really slosh it on the end-grain of beams as a defensive measure.
If you want a spray for your plants, you could crush a load of garlic into a pint or two of paraffin; put the bits in too. Leave it stand for a day; sieve it and add just as much soapy water. Mix thoroughly; store in glass, tipping only what you require into a spray gun as and when you require it, because it might dissolve some plastics.
Soapy water alone will kill greenfly, just spray it on.
Another natural insecticide which will work on a lot of garden pests is 'stinging nettle juice'. Cut down a large bunch of stinging nettles and put them in a large bucket of water, leave them for three or four weeks until they have stopped fermenting (no more bubbles). Take a jar full and dilute it with three of four jars of cold water, because it is too strong for some plants. Just spray it on. Top up your fermentation bucket with fresh water and a few nettles.
Boric acid is the chief ingredient used in destroying a whole horde of insects. (By the way, it is also the principal ingredient in many commercial insecticides as well, but they mix it for you and quadruple the price. If you do not believe me, look at the ingredients on the box).
Boric acid or borax is made from boron, one of the borates. Borax has been a known pesticide for about a hundred years. It has a variety of effects on different insects, but if an insect has mandibles or jaws, the boric acid will get inside and damage the nervous system. Some insects, like bed bugs do not have these mouth parts, so it is less successful against them, but borax will dry out an insect if it is sprinkled with the powder.
To kill any insects that like sugar, in particular ants, mix one cup of sugar into three cups of water and four teaspoons of borax. Combine them and dissolve it all completely. Get a few jam jars with lids and clean them carefully. Saturate a few cotton balls in your homemade insecticide and place them in each jar. Then replace the tops and make a few holes in each. Place the jam jars, on their sides, in the path of any invading insects. Make sure that the holes are large enough for the insects to get in.
For cockroaches, combine borax with flour, especially cornflour and leave about where they run or you could soak a slice of bread in borax and water for the same effect.
Termites can be eradicated by adding borax powder to any non-poisonous fluid that will seep into wood, propylene glycol for instance, and really slosh it on the end-grain of beams as a defensive measure.
If you want a spray for your plants, you could crush a load of garlic into a pint or two of paraffin; put the bits in too. Leave it stand for a day; sieve it and add just as much soapy water. Mix thoroughly; store in glass, tipping only what you require into a spray gun as and when you require it, because it might dissolve some plastics.
Soapy water alone will kill greenfly, just spray it on.
Another natural insecticide which will work on a lot of garden pests is 'stinging nettle juice'. Cut down a large bunch of stinging nettles and put them in a large bucket of water, leave them for three or four weeks until they have stopped fermenting (no more bubbles). Take a jar full and dilute it with three of four jars of cold water, because it is too strong for some plants. Just spray it on. Top up your fermentation bucket with fresh water and a few nettles.
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the writer of this article writes on many subjects, but is at present concerned with Terro Ant Killer. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please visit our website at Killing Carpenter Ants.
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