A lot of people 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 easily obtainable and are fairly inexpensive. 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 more than ninety years. It has different 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 effective against them, but borax will dry out an insect if it is dusted 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 home-produced insecticide and put them in each jar. Then replace the lids 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 through.
For cockroaches, mix borax with flour, particularly cornflour and leave about where they run or you could steep a slice of bread in borax and water for the same result.
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 flowers, you could press a load of garlic into a pint or two of paraffin; put the bits in too. Leave it rest for a day; strain it and add just as much soapy water. Mix carefully; 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 aphids, 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 big container of water, leave them for three or four weeks until they have finished 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 plant life. 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 more than ninety years. It has different 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 effective against them, but borax will dry out an insect if it is dusted 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 home-produced insecticide and put them in each jar. Then replace the lids 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 through.
For cockroaches, mix borax with flour, particularly cornflour and leave about where they run or you could steep a slice of bread in borax and water for the same result.
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 flowers, you could press a load of garlic into a pint or two of paraffin; put the bits in too. Leave it rest for a day; strain it and add just as much soapy water. Mix carefully; 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 aphids, 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 big container of water, leave them for three or four weeks until they have finished 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 plant life. Just spray it on. Top up your fermentation bucket with fresh water and a few nettles.
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on quite a few topics, but is at present concerned with Terro Ant Killer. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our web site at Killing Carpenter Ants.
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