A couple of days ago, the Honolulu Advertiser had an article about Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. The advice was to mix the soap (1 part soap to 5 parts water) with water and spray your plants with it, both top and bottom of the leaves. UPDATE WARNING! (7-04-09) The 1 to 5 ratio was wrong. It killed my ginger flower and has nearly killed my Ixora.
You know....
It did kill the ants on our ginger plant. Sorry about the blurry photo.
We'll see how the suffering Ixora does in the coming days.
I've been reading up some more on the web about Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap and the Southern Nevada Water Authority says 2 Tbsp. Dr. Bronner's (Peppermint!) soap to 1 gallon of water. Wow! I've probably made my solution too strong. I hope it doesn't kill the plant. Well, if this is correct, it's certainly more economical.
KAY....i was under the impression that your country is free of this problem...it is a very big problem out here.....i hope this soap works for you...its very painful to see our garden being destroyed by these horrible creatures,fungus etc...
ReplyDeleteIf it works, let me know! We have 30-foot polytunnels (like arched plastic greenhouses) and two years ago we had a horrible infestation of aphids inside. I had to spray once a week, it drove me nuts. Good luck! Your flowers are beautiful; it's a shame to see them covered with unfriendly bugs.
ReplyDeleteFree of bugs, fungus, ETC. ETC. Oh my gosh! No! These islands are FULL of every kind of pests you could name. It's tiring to try to keep up with them. I'm learning as I go along.
ReplyDeleteSusan: Ah... polytunnels. This must be an Irish thing. When my son was doing Organic Farming in Ireland he mentioned those polytunnels. My neighbor has gorgeous gardenia plants that are covered with teeny ants too. I loaned her my soap yesterday.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the old snake oil. LOL
ReplyDeleteWay to go, Kay! David bought 2 more bottles of Insecticidal Soap spray from Home Depot yesterday. It is probably less expensive to do it your way, though. Keep us apprised of the results.
ReplyDeleteDina: No, no... I think it really does do something.
ReplyDeleteGigi: This Bronner's soap is not cheap. It cost $8.99 for the bottle. However, you do mix it will 5 parts water so maybe it will be cost effective in the long run.
I just ordered some Dr. Bronners soap as it is so ecologically friendly and so mild..I will be interested to see how it works in your garden...
ReplyDeleteI used to use soap on most bugs that suck and on aphids with thin skin I would use rubbing alcohol. On a swab. Not much but enough to kill them. If you have a lot of them it might be a chore. I got rid of the roses so I don't have those problems nowadays.
ReplyDeleteHope the soap works!
ReplyDeleteI hope it works! The flower looks lovely!
ReplyDeleteBlessings.....
ReplyDeleteHope it works, i have no solutions as i don't garden. Best of luck. Have a great week.
Kay let me know if the soap does the trick..We have had a lot of trouble each year with Japanese beatles. Wonder if it would work on those chow hounds?
ReplyDeleteKay, a 24 fl oz bottle of Insecticidal Soap spray costs $5.39 at Home Depot.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the insecticidal soap. We use one named Safer and it works well, but you have to spray often to get ahead of aphids. The honey dew from the aphids attracts the ants and the mildew.
ReplyDeleteI guess that's the price of messing with nature. When we what to determine what grows where, the bugs bug us.
Soap is a long standing remedy for killing aphids. I hope it does the trick for you!
ReplyDeleteI was so surpied when I followed your comment on my blog back to here. Even though I am in Friday Harbor right now, I live on Oahu! I saw your grand-dughter on the header and thought, "Oh! That's home!" And sure enough!
Good luck. I hate those itty-bitty bugs.
ReplyDeleteCool it works! Here I normally succumb to insecticides....
ReplyDeleteI just copied the following off the web about insect control:
ReplyDelete"Aphids:
Aphids vary in size and color, but they all have a piercing mouth that sucks out plant juices. They usually live on the underside of leaves and in developing buds. They put out a sweet sap that attracts other insects, including ants. If you see a plant with a lot of ants, check for aphids.
Control:
Add 2 tablespoons of Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap to 1 gallon of water and spray the bottom side of plant leaves. You can get Dr. Bronner's soap at a health food store. Another easy and effective solution is to wash aphids off with a high-pressure water spray. Aphids have a short life cycle and most will die before they cause more damage.
Ants:
These common pests are prevalent in our desert.
Control:
Place crushed dried lavender blossoms, powdered chalk or coffee grounds sprinkled around the house foundation to help repel the ants.
For inside the home, mix the following ingredients and spray in areas where you need to repel ants.
•1/2 ounce Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap
•1 quart water
•2 drops garlic oil
•3/4 teaspoon of isopropyl alcohol
For a long-term solution, create a feeding station with sardines or peanut butter. Once established, add boric acid to the bait. The ants will carry the boric acid to the queen. Once the queen is dead, the nest dies. Keep pets and children away from the bait."
They didn't have the Peppermint so I bought the lavender which seems to be working also. I'll try to get Peppermint next time. The nice thing is it's biodegradable and organic.
sounds like world war III=be persistent and you'll win. good luck!
ReplyDeleteHi there, thanks for visiting me, sorry it took so long to return the visit but I only just saw your comment. I absolutely love your banner, your granddaughter is adorable! :)
ReplyDeleteHope it works!!!!!!
ReplyDelete