Help! I need an organic, preferably homemade, pesticide!

Sorry i have no ideas, but i am quite interested in the answer so i am keeping watch to hear the answers!

I want to check back too. I haven't used any organic pesticides yet.

Well, dear...

I hate to burst your bubble, but we need pests.

Take a gander here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diseases_of_the_honey_bee

I checked out the wikipedia article, but what do Diseases of the Honey Bee have to do with gnat like creatures in my indoor plants!

Maybe you could find something that is a deterren rather than a pesticide?

My point was that all creatures have a purpose.

Sorry to be so vague.

Actually, your article inspired me to post a short one also.

Deterrent?

Damn.

Thanks for the clarification. Yes a deterrent would be fine. I would take anything at this point.

Hi Gwen...Sheck out the site rareseeds.com great place to find tons of organic answers!
And just a note...Home Depot sells an organic spray that is more than safe for around five bucks....they have one for hard and soft bodied insects and one for fungus and insects...Iuse both...
I will look up a home made one...but honestly...if ya get the mix wrong....it burns the plants...let me tell ya I know...
also using a sterile planting medium for inside will help.

Thanks Lou Anne. I will check out home depot manana. You are right I don't want to learn the hard way:)

I did start all them with sterile soil, that is why I was so surprised that I had this problem. I used to be a penny pincher and reuse, but I just didn't get as good results.

Go buy Safer brand Neem oil. 100% organic and not harmful to beneficial insects. It works.

I have read about Neem on Organicgardening.com and somewhere else. They said that the jury was still out on it's effect on the plants thmeselves. Have you used it??

I sure have and it's very effective on everything from aphids and thrips to Japanese beetles. My roses thrive on it and it's great for fruits and veggies. It's made from the oil of a tree-the neem tree which grows in India. Most major organic sites endorse neem for home use.

Thanks Katherine.

Update: While the above was going on....thanks for everyone's help and comments...I tried two more things.

First, I added a drop or two of dish soap to my hot pepper water that I had already made. This worked as long as the little buggers were hit directly but did nothing long term except make me sneeze.

Second, I place the one main pot that seem to have the biggest problem outside for a few hours. Okay, I know that it was stupid to think that they would just fly a way to somewhere else, but I had to try. No change.

So here is what I am going to do. I am going to home depot and going to get what was suggested and a completely new bag of soil. Maybe the sterile soil was not so sterile.

Here's hoping!

You need Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) for gnats. You can find it under several brand names like "Gnatrol" and "Knock-Out Gnats" (from Gardens Alive!) This will kill the larvae in the soil. I have been using it for years in my pots of herbs, tomatoes and peppers.

I think you have fungus gnats living on the rotting organic material in your potting mix. While they usually don't cause any direct harm to your plants, they are an indicator of conditions that aren't that healthy for your plants. The gnats are attracted to rotting vegetation so they will show up when potted plants are kept a little too well watered and the potting mix stays soggy and doesn't get enough air. You didn't say what herbs you are growing, but most kitchen herbs do not like wet feet and don't mind having their soil dry out once in a while.

You might not need to re-pot quite yet. First try watering a little less often. The potting mix should feel dry on the surface and only slightly damp an inch or two deep before watering. Herbs of Mediterranian origin actually thrive on a watering schedule that would torture most tropical houseplants. Herbs prefer to be soaked until water drains from their pot and then allowed to dry almost completely whereas most tropicals prefer an even supply of moisture.

Sunlight and fresh air will also help to control the gnats, but to be effective, you'll need to keep your plants outside in a sheltered location for several days up to a few weeks. Just be sure to provide some shade during the hottest and brightest part of the day or your plants will suffer from sunburn.

The other suggested remedies will also help, but neem oil or insecticidal soap should only be used to knock down heavy infestations and not used continuously. Bti is self regulating and will eventually provide continuous control if the bacteria find favorable living conditions.

Thanks Peter. I will try to let them dry out before I replace everything. I do probably water too much because they are right there in front of me!

You can also try Dr. Bronners organic liquid soap, a few squirts in a bottle w/distilled water, then sprayed on the plants. It's soap, but not detergent, and they don't like it, also neem oil is one that they never like and it's safe to use as well. I've used it in aromatherapy preparations too. Good luck - let us know how you make out! Thanks for posting to Aromatherapy, Herbs and More!
Marilyn

so interesting. we use dr bronner's, too.

I make home made insecticide in a 32 oz spray bottle with a few drops of pure eucalyptus and lemon oil (can be found in the outdoor section where "off" spray is located) half a small cap full of witch hazel and a squirt of dial soap fill spray bottle with water and shake.