dish soap as insect bane?
 

Friend told me to mix up some dish soap and water in a spray bottle to deal
with ants on my aloe and scale on my ficus. Pretty well saturated both
plants with the stuff. Looks like may have worked... any folks have xp with
this?

Skip

--

"s" wrote in message
m...
Friend told me to mix up some dish soap and water in a spray bottle to
deal
with ants on my aloe and scale on my ficus. Pretty well saturated both
plants with the stuff. Looks like may have worked... any folks have xp
with
this?

Skip

--

Yep - seems to work pretty well. Use one that has no perfumes or additives
though, like Ivory or Dove.

"s" wrote in message
m...
Friend told me to mix up some dish soap and water in a spray bottle to
deal
with ants on my aloe and scale on my ficus. Pretty well saturated both
plants with the stuff. Looks like may have worked... any folks have xp
with
this?

I have used Palmolive Liquid or Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap or a
mixture of the two for years to deter pests. Palmolive was a choice to use
on flea-infested kittens years ago and I make a blend of the two to control
leaf curler worms on my oak tree. Minty fresh and aroma therapy in the
garden.........

What is the ratio of soap to water?

John

"cat daddy" wrote in message
...

"s" wrote in message
m...
Friend told me to mix up some dish soap and water in a spray bottle to
deal
with ants on my aloe and scale on my ficus. Pretty well saturated both
plants with the stuff. Looks like may have worked... any folks have xp
with
this?

I have used Palmolive Liquid or Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap or a
mixture of the two for years to deter pests. Palmolive was a choice to use
on flea-infested kittens years ago and I make a blend of the two to
control
leaf curler worms on my oak tree. Minty fresh and aroma therapy in the
garden.........

I guessed. I'd say I used 4 tablespoons in a quart sprayer.

"John Baker" wrote in message
...
What is the ratio of soap to water?

John

"cat daddy" wrote in message
...

"s" wrote in message
m...
Friend told me to mix up some dish soap and water in a spray bottle to
deal
with ants on my aloe and scale on my ficus. Pretty well saturated both
plants with the stuff. Looks like may have worked... any folks have xp
with
this?

I have used Palmolive Liquid or Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap or a
mixture of the two for years to deter pests. Palmolive was a choice to
use
on flea-infested kittens years ago and I make a blend of the two to
control
leaf curler worms on my oak tree. Minty fresh and aroma therapy in the
garden.........

I usually put about a cup of the combined soap in a two gallon sprayer,
but I don't fill it to the top. I've poured in a few glugs of Listerine and
a can of beer at times after reading about that tonic guy on TV, and not,
when I read about that tonic guy on rec.gardens............ }:-) I found
it just as effective, maybe more, than using BT on the leaf curlers, and
definitely more pleasant to be covered in the spray.
It's worked for me in really cutting back on the webworms, also. This
year, I'm going to try putting a hose-end sprayer inline with a hose nozzle
set on "jet" to get higher up in the trees. I'll fill the bottle full
strength.

"John Baker" wrote in message
...
What is the ratio of soap to water?

John

"cat daddy" wrote in message
...

"s" wrote in message
m...
Friend told me to mix up some dish soap and water in a spray bottle to
deal
with ants on my aloe and scale on my ficus. Pretty well saturated both
plants with the stuff. Looks like may have worked... any folks have xp
with
this?

I have used Palmolive Liquid or Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap or a
mixture of the two for years to deter pests. Palmolive was a choice to
use
on flea-infested kittens years ago and I make a blend of the two to
control
leaf curler worms on my oak tree. Minty fresh and aroma therapy in the
garden.........

"Elizabeth" wrote in message
news:l_c2e.626$WM6.595@okepread07...
"s" wrote in message
m...
Friend told me to mix up some dish soap and water in a spray bottle to
deal
with ants on my aloe and scale on my ficus. Pretty well saturated both
plants with the stuff. Looks like may have worked... any folks have xp
with
this?

Yep - seems to work pretty well. Use one that has no perfumes or
additives
though, like Ivory or Dove.

Oh, but that takes all the fun out of the aromatherapy part........ I
now use Palmolive with Lavender and Ylang Ylang essences.... }:-) Plus,
Dr. Bronner's Peppermint has so many uses listed that surely a little insect
aversion must be one of them.

Update: Sprayed the oak with the hose end sprayer on Tuesday. It's the
healthiest its ever looked. Usually, I don't get around to it until the leaf
curlers have done some damage and then fail to spray again.
So, last year's dosing was more effective than I thought, considering the
lack of a new crop of baby worms this year.

"cat daddy" wrote in message
...
I usually put about a cup of the combined soap in a two gallon sprayer,
but I don't fill it to the top. I've poured in a few glugs of Listerine
and
a can of beer at times after reading about that tonic guy on TV, and not,
when I read about that tonic guy on rec.gardens............ }:-) I found
it just as effective, maybe more, than using BT on the leaf curlers, and
definitely more pleasant to be covered in the spray.
It's worked for me in really cutting back on the webworms, also. This
year, I'm going to try putting a hose-end sprayer inline with a hose
nozzle
set on "jet" to get higher up in the trees. I'll fill the bottle full
strength.

"John Baker" wrote in message
...
What is the ratio of soap to water?

John

"cat daddy" wrote in message
...

"s" wrote in message
m...
Friend told me to mix up some dish soap and water in a spray bottle
to
deal
with ants on my aloe and scale on my ficus. Pretty well saturated
both
plants with the stuff. Looks like may have worked... any folks have
xp
with
this?

I have used Palmolive Liquid or Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap or a
mixture of the two for years to deter pests. Palmolive was a choice to
use
on flea-infested kittens years ago and I make a blend of the two to
control
leaf curler worms on my oak tree. Minty fresh and aroma therapy in the
garden.........