Grandma’s Organic Pesticides

My grandparents had a ranch in Montana with horses, cows, chickens and rattlesnakes. I do not remember ever having a problem with pests in the house or the barns. So, how did they keep them away?

One torturous, annual event was a tablespoon of sugar with Kerosene poured on it that I agreed to swallow. Grandma said kids get worms and that spoonful of sugared kerosene would take care of that! I was a little girl who did not like creepy crawly things. The agony of taking that spoonful of medicine was much better than visualizing of worms crawling around inside of me. I survived! We have come a long way and we no longer advocate that as a preventative but our grandparents had many other remedies and preventatives that we can all take advantage of.

We have the added advantage of global media, which gives us the benefit of grandparents’ remedies from around the world and products our ancestors would be amazed at.

Remember the smell of mothballs at Grandma’s house? They were used to prevent moths from destroying the good linens in the trunk. Grandma used them only for holidays.

Moth balls have other uses, too. I am still afraid of snakes, even the harmless garden variety. You can put moth balls in your gardens, around the flowers and vegetables. Moth balls repel all kinds of little pesky critters, snakes, rabbits, rodents and others. The moth balls will usually last all summer. Grandma put them in the attic. It never occurred to me to ask why then but now I realize it was to keep squirrels and other things that go bump in the night from invading her tidy little domain.

Mineral oil was another important item that had many uses. One ounce of mineral oil mixed with one quart of water sprayed on insects will dehydrate the insects as well as their larva.

Tobacco can be used as an insect repellent in your garden. Mix one cup of loose tobacco in 1 gallon of water. Allow the mixture to soak for 24 hours until it looks like strong tea. Strain and spray your plants. You will have to be a little careful with this one. Do not use on any of the nightshade (Solanaceae) plants. This family includes; potatoes, tomatoes, chili peppers, eggplant, tobacco and petunia.

Neem oil is a natural pesticide. Use one ounce neem oil to a gallon of water. Some people add a teaspoon of liquid soap. It works like a charm. It takes so little, I buy the human grade so that I can also keep it for it’s medicinal value.

Peppermint oil on a cotton ball keeps mice away. Put the cotton balls anywhere you think mice may come in or in places you know they frequent and they will find a new place to live very quickly.

If you have a problem with slugs, place broken eggshells around your plants. For some reason, slugs do not like them and will not cross the line of eggshells.

Ants do not like chili pepper and will not cross an area where you have placed the pepper. Sprinkle around areas where they come in or add to water and spray.

For larger insects, such as wasps, bees and flies, use eucalyptus oil, either on a cotton ball in small areas or add to water for a spray for larger areas.

Two tablespoons of salt to a quart of water kills spider mites. It does a better job than the expensive chemicals it replaces.

Cats in your garden may not be destructive but it certainly is annoying. There is an easy solution. Cats hate anything with a citrus scent. Grate your citrus peels and sprinkle them around your garden. The cats will find somewhere else to go.

Grandparents have a wealth of information if we take the time to ask for their advice!

Evie Brandon, It’s Only Natural Newsletter http://www.itsonlynaturalnewsletter.com