Avoid overwatering or underwatering your plants as this can stress them and make them more susceptible to pests.

Methanol or wood alcohol, or methyl alcohol stimulates the growth of many cultivated plants and dramatically increases crop yields . A single spray of diluted 30 percent ethanol and methanol and 70 percent water solution can improve the development of certain plants. Beetles: Various kinds of beetles and their larvae feed on houseplants. They may enter the home when houseplants are brought inside at the end of summer, or they may enter through some opening. They have chewing mouthparts. Control: Remove and destroy caterpillars and eggs. If the houseplants are outside and additional caterpillar feeding occurs, spray with neem oil extract, spinosad, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, or lambda cyhalothrin to control them for one to two weeks. See Table 1 for examples of brands and products. See footnote on Table 1 about spraying houseplants outdoors. Follow label directions for safe use. Spray the solution on your plants once a week until the bugs are gone. Make sure to cover all the leaves and stems, especially the undersides where bugs like to hide.Most of the options on our list can provide protection for at least two hours and some all the way up to 12 hours. The EcoVenger Bed Bug Killer can offer protection for up to two weeks. Bug sprays with strong ingredients like DEET tend to provide longer protection than those made out of less potent ingredients, like essential oils.

Products made of any of these ingredients have been deemed safe to use as insect repellents,” she says. “However, they have a shorter period of protection against insect bites and need to be reapplied more often.” Alcohol can help combat pests like mealybugs and scale insects by dissolving their protective coatings. When they do, they get drunk. They might drown but either way, take the dish outside in the morning to return them to mother earth. Mealybugs are tiny white bugs that look like fuzzy white stuff on the leaves and stems of the plant and are often mistaken for fungus or mildew. Choose one of these solutions for a simple and natural way to get rid of unwanted bugs in the garden or for indoor plants. Oil-Based Homemade Bug Spray for PlantsThis bug spray comes in a compact spray bottle that’s easy to take with you on your next outdoor adventure. You can spray it on certain fabrics like cotton or wool, but it may damage some synthetic fabrics and surfaces so make sure to test a small area first. Since this bug spray has such a high concentration of DEET, it’s not recommended for use on children. You can make your own, but you’d need to have grown flowers from the chrysanthemums family or Tanacetum family. The most common is the perennial daisy. Additionally, homemade sprays can be cost-effective, as many ingredients can be found in your pantry or garden. Safety Precautions

An alternative way to debug large amounts of potting soil at once is to submerge it completely in slightly warm water. Allow the soil to sit submerged for around 10 minutes to forcefully evict any bugs from the soil. Slugs are deterred in a variety of ways. One method uses beer placed in an old can or pie plate positioned in the ground. Sink the container deep into the soil and keep beer one inch below the soil levels, so the slugs have to enter the dish to drink. To use neem oil as a homemade bug spray mix one to two tablespoons of pure, cold-pressed neem oil, at Walmart, with a gallon of water. You can also add one to two teaspoons of dish soap to the mix to help the neem oil adhere to the plants. You just need 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1 Tbsp liquid dish soap (one that doesn't contain bleach, degreaser, synthetic dyes, or fragrances), and water. So can catnip. Cats love that, but you’ll need to alternate between outdoors and indoors as catnip needs plenty of sun.Thankfully there are many different ways to get rid of unwanted bugs without using chemicals or dangerous toxins. Alcohol might seem like a nasty substance to spray onto your plants to fight bugs and unwanted critters, but it can be effective when correctly used in the right amounts and products! In this post, we discuss why alcohol can be used as an effective, non-toxic plant protector! Why Would You Spray House Plants With Alcohol?

The best bug sprays provide long-term protection, like the Repel 100 Insect Repellent which can repel mosquitoes and other insects for up to 10 hours. This 98% DEET formula is recommended for use in heavily infested areas, and when you’re spending extended time outside around mosquitos. Pour all the solutions ingredients into a spray bottle and spray gently over the scale. Repeat every three days for two weeks until all the scale is gone.But, get this… Whilst it is organic, it’s not long-lasting. High temperatures and exposure to UV light will reduce its potency. For that reason, like neem oil, spray when the temperature is cooler, but instead of in the morning, apply it at night. If you’d like to take a shot at growing herbs indoors, grow them near your other plants so the smell stops any other pests being attracted to your plants. Use it in a spray bottle, or to wash the leaves of heavily infested plants (test it on a leaf first to make sure the plant isn’t sensitive to the mixture). These are our favorite and easy to use alcohol methods to get rid of pests and bugs in your houseplants: Alcohol To Control Mealybug Infestations On Houseplants