I'm with you Ty. I hate putting things on my plants that I won't eat myself.
I've been spraying garlic, tea, molasses, dish washing liquid, alcohol (of
course I have my own secret recipe for each) and just plain water on my plants
with bug problems. I also will spray ammonia and water for my slugs. That way I
even get the tiny ones I can't see.
I find the best way to get rid of the bugs you can see is use your hands to
pick them off and smoosh the *******s! Every morning I walk through my garden
with a little bucket of soapy water. I pluck the large snails and slugs (my
worst problems) I find and drop them in the bucket where they quickly drown. I
search my leaves for holes or tunnels or egg masses or even the tiny single
eggs laid by the dreaded spit squash borers that frequent my back yard. I try
to find problems before they become huge ones. I also never grow the same kind
of plant again if it has been problematic.
My point is if you give in and use the toxic pesticides, then the bugs still
win even though they are dead.
Jack