How Do You Make Insecticidal Soap For The Garden?
Insecticidal soap is an environmentally friendly alternative to common pesticides. It works by penetrating and washing away a soft-bodied insect’s protective cuticle. Without this waxy, protective coating, the insect dehydrates and dies. Insecticidal soaps are not harmful to pets or people, but soap is potentially harmful to aquatic life—even if it is free of phosphates—so insecticidal soaps should not be used if there is a risk of the runoff making it into waterways. Insecticidal soap will also kill beneficial insects like ladybugs, which love to eat the aphids you may be trying to kill. Perform a water test prior to mixing a large amount of the solution. Mix the concentration you intend to use in a jar of water and shake the jar. Wait 15 minutes. If the water stays cloudy, your water is okay to use, but if it makes a scum on the top, minerals present in your water will make the soap less effective. In that case, use a gallon of bottled water. Drop a bar of unscented, white soap i
