PEST CONTROL
MAKE YOUR OWN SIMPLE SPRAYS AND TREATMENTS
General Soap Spray (will control aphids, soft scale, whiteflies, thrips and mealy bugs)Combine 2 teaspoons of pure soap flakes or grated pure soap with 1L of warm water. Shake well and allow to cool before use.
White Oil Spray (will control scale, whiteflies, thrips and mealy bugs)
Mix 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid detergent with 1 cup of cooking oil. Add 1 to 21/2 teaspoons of this solution to 1 cup of water. Spray onto plants every 10 days while infestation occurs.
Garlic Spray (a wide range of insect pests, eg: aphids, caterpillars, stink bugs, grasshoppers etc. and an effective fungicide.)
Roughly chop 10 cloves of garlic and cover with 1L of warm water. Leave to infuse overnight, strain and use within a few days.
Rose Fungicide(will help prevent black spot and mildew)
Dissolve 1 rounded tablespoon of baking soda in 4.5 litres of water. Add 2.5 tablespoons of white oil (to help the mix stick to leaves) and agitate. Spray weekly, ensuring good coverage of foliage.
Snails & Slugs
Make your own snail traps using beer! Use a saucer or a cut down old plastic container (eg. Margarine) dug into the soil slightly so snails can access it. Use an upturned pot or similar, angled to allow entry and to protect the beer from rain or reticulation.
Fruit Fly
Difficult to control organically, the rate of strike can be drastically reduced by using baits and good housekeeping. Never allow fallen fruit to remain under the tree. Any affected fruit should be sealed in a plastic bag and left in the sun, or placed in a bucket with hot water and left to steep. Both methods need a few days to be effective. Recipe for baits: 50gm sugar per litre of water. Heat to dissolve. When tepid, add a pinch of dry yeast. Use three baits per tree. (Make bait jars from old plastic cool drink bottles.) Replace baits fortnightly.
Ants
Ants making nests in paving or areas around the house can be discouraged by pouring boiling water into the nest. Doing this a few times will encourage them to move elsewhere. A sprinkling of talcum powder on window sills will discourage ants from entering – they won’t cross it.
Slaters
Roll up newspapers and secure with rubber bands. Soak in a bucket to wet thoroughly. Scatter the rolls throughout the garden and collect early in the morning to destroy the slaters which have gathered overnight. Doing this regularly will decrease the population noticeably.
