Pest Control for Plants. A problem with having plants indoors is that you have to worry about pests and bugs eating them. You can stand back and let aphids, grasshoppers, and earwigs feed on your plants or you can fight them off naturally with a homemade pesticide spray. Plant pests are no laughing matter. They can be easily spread to other plants, not to mention the time and money which can be wasted as a result. Wouldn’t you like to be able to get rid of these pests without losing your cool? If so, arming yourself with homemade pesticides is the answer.

Natural Pest Control For Plants

Aphids

Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects that live on the undersides of leaves. They have a wide host range and can infest a variety of plants including many common garden favorites like roses and lettuce, as well as ornamental trees and shrubs. Aphid species vary in appearance: some are wingless while others have wings; some change color to match their host plant; others are green or brown all year round.

Some aphid species reproduce rapidly by parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction), meaning they do not need a male to reproduce—instead they can produce offspring without mating with another individual. This means that once one female aphid starts an infestation, it can spread very quickly!

Scale

For scale, you can use a cotton swab to apply oil to the scale. This helps remove them from your plant. This may take some time, but it’s worth it if you want your plants to thrive without any pests. You can also prune infected leaves and stems that are affected by scale insects to prevent them from spreading on other parts of your plant.

Whiteflies

The first step to controlling whiteflies is to identify them. Whiteflies are small, sap-sucking insects that are usually white or yellow. They can be found on the undersides of leaves and around buds, stems, and flowers of plants in your garden. The presence of these pests is signaled by tiny spots on plant leaves where they have been feeding on phloem tissue (the part of the plant that transports nutrients).

Whiteflies affect many types of plants; however, they prefer warm weather so you may not see them until summertime has arrived. If left untreated for too long, whitefly infestations can cause serious damage to a large number of your favorite crops like tomatoes or roses! Once detected early enough though there is no need worry as there are several effective ways to get rid/prevent these pests from coming back again next year!

Spider mites

Spider mites are tiny spider-like pests that can cause damage to plants by sucking the sap out of their leaves. They may look like tiny spiders, but they’re not related to the true spider. Luckily, there are several simple ways to prevent and treat a spider mite infestation if you notice any signs of one on your plants.

First, make a soap spray with dishwashing liquid (30%), water and peppermint oil that will kill off the little critters when sprayed directly on them or applied as a spray every few days until they’re gone. Just don’t use too much dishwashing liquid—too much can damage your plants!

If you have trouble finding peppermint oil at the store, try substituting any essential oil with anti-insect properties (eucalyptus oil is another great option).

Leafhoppers

How to identify leafhoppers:

• They are small insects with wings that are usually yellow or green.
• You will often find them in large groups on your plants.

How to remove them: The best way to keep leafhoppers away from your plants is by using insecticidal soap spray and applying it twice a week when you see signs of the pests in your home garden.

How to prevent them from damaging other plants in the future: Using a systemic insecticide like Ortho® Bug B Gon® Concentrate Insect Killer for Lawns & Gardens can help you kill off any adult leafhoppers that are around at this time, which will prevent them from laying eggs on any new plant growth in the future.

Squash bugs

Squash bugs are common pests in gardens, especially during the summer months. Squash bugs are about 1/4 inch long and oval shaped, with a brownish-gray body and black wings. They love to feast on squash plants, including pumpkins and gourds.

They can be removed manually by hand-picking them out of your garden or spraying strong jets of water at them to knock them off the plants (but beware: they won’t drown).

Slugs and snails

If you have a pet, you can feed them to your pet.

• Mulch around plants to help keep slugs and snails away.
• Use copper tape around containers.
• Use diatomaceous earth (natural powder made from fossilized sea creatures).
• Use a solution of yeast and sugar to get rid of slugs and snails. You must reapply this solution after rain or heavy watering so it doesn’t wash away, which should be daily during dry periods if necessary.

There are many natural ways to remove pests from your garden.

Here are some ways to use natural pest control:

• Organic barriers. If a plant is susceptible to pests, surround it with a barrier of living plants that are more difficult for the pests to penetrate. The best way to do this is by planting in pots and placing each pot inside another larger pot so that the smaller plants are protected from insect damage. This works well for inside houseplants as well as outdoor ones like tomatoes and lettuce that might be bothered by bugs or diseases such as mildew and rust. If you don’t want to bother with this type of setup, try using mulch around susceptible plants instead; both methods should keep most insects at bay without needing any additional sprays or powders on top!
• Pesticide alternatives (like dandelion wine). You can also make your own pesticides using ingredients found right in your pantry or backyard—for example by making dandelion wine (which also happens to be delicious)! All you need is some sugar syrup and fresh dandelions picked from outside; combine them together over time until they’re fully fermented into sweet nectar which will then kill off any pesky insects when sprayed onto foliage every few days during warm seasons (when pests tend towards being active).