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This is such an easy DIY natural insecticidal spray for your plants, you are going to enjoy making it!
A few years ago, I tried out a few different soap sprays for my potted plants. I wasn’t pleased with most of the results, so I never shared a post.
Last summer, I tried out using one of my all time favorite products, Murphy Oil Soap. This stuff is fantastic!
The manufacturer inspired me after reading their website and tips.
DIY Natural Insecticidal Spray
We wrote this post many years ago about Murphy Oil Soap uses, and it continues to be a favorite among readers.
For this post, I dug around the manufacturer’s website for ingredient breakdown and all the information they had about history. This is where I saw the mention of using it for a natural insecticide. They say to use Murphy Oil Soap, rubbing alcohol, cooking oil, and lemon juice for plants. I think it works just fine without those other ingredients.
You can read more about what they put together here.
Here is how we make it!
Ingredients for DIY Insecticidal Spray:
- 2 tbsp Murphy Oil Soap (I buy it on Amazon)
- 2 cups of water
- 20 drops of lemon essential oil (optional) (This is my favorite one)
- Glass Jar
- Spray Bottle (Simple ones like these are good)
Directions:
- Add ingredients to a jar and stir well.
- Pour into a spray bottle.
- Gentle shake before spraying.
- Spray the bottom and top of your plants leaves, and along the stem.
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DIY Insecticidal Soap With Neem Oil
This is an optional step, but if you want to really enhance this solution, add in some Organic Neem Oil! This one is 100% pure, so you can add a few tsp to this solution for incredible insect repelling benefits. We talked about nematodes in our flea post from a few years ago, but neem oil is also an easy addition. We could write an entire post on the science behind neem oil, but for this recipe, it is just an option if you would like to use it
How Long Will This Spray Last?
There is really no shelf life for this, nothing inside will go bad. Feel free to keep this around at all times and use until it is gone! Just remember to give it a good shake before each use to distribute the oils.
The Science Behind This DIY Natural Insecticidal Soap Spray
Readers always email or comment on posts saying they love reading more about how things actually work. Understanding what role certain ingredients play in a product or a homemade solution helps you be more confident that something works!
Science is the reason anything works, but especially a homemade recipe.
This is a very simple recipe with simple science!
Murphy Oil Soap For Insecticidal Soap
You might find many different options for homemade insecticidal soaps like Dawn (which we have used many times) or even Castile soap (which we have also used). Any of these can work in this recipe, but I have found Murphy Oil Soap to work even better!
The reason for this is the ingredients are great for repelling insects. One of the ingredients, Lauramidopropyl dimethylamine (don’t worry this is a non-toxic surfacant), is an anti-microbial and it works better for insects than the surfactants you might see in dish soaps. It also has a lemony scent which enhances the insect repelling aspect. You can read more about ingredients in our post all about Murphy Oil Soap Uses.
Is Murphy Oil Soap Natural?
This oil soap is classified as 98% naturally derived, plant based ingredients. It really is a great option for many things, but also great for plants!
Can I Use Castile Soap To Make It Even More Natural?
Yes, you can easily swap out Castile soap. It doesn’t work as powerfully after testing both, but you can definitely use it. We like to give you many options on Chemistry Cachet, but also let you know what is best.
Lemon Essential Oil
Lemon Essential oil is added to this recipe for even more insect repelling benefits. When you add it to this insecticidal soap, the scent will stick around even after the soap has dissipated. Lemon is a great insect repellent by itself, but adding it to this recipe just makes things work even better for all types of bugs on your plants!
Will This DIY Insecticidal Soap Kill Aphids?
This soap repels bugs from coming, but will also deter or kill the bugs when you spray directly onto their bodies. I used this last year on aphids that popped up on my roses, when I came the next day they were gone!
Using this homemade insecticidal spray with Murphy’s Oil soap will help you deter future bugs, but also get rid of bugs already on your plants!
I hope you enjoying using this spray!
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Alexis is an investigative chemist sharing her expertise in cleaning, skincare, gardening, and home hacks. She personally tests out products like the best skincare products or home products then shares not only the science behind how it works, but also her personal results. She is the mom of two living in Texas with her husband. Find her on Instagram for fantastic videos, tips, and behind the scenes.
Awesome post
Thank you! It is so easy to make!
Great post! I’ve used Murphy’s for years, but had no idea it could be used for this. I had a problem all summer with aphids on my Mandivillia. After a while, I just stopped spraying, but the plant continued to bloom beautifully even though it was full of those stinkers. Go figure! It’s STILL lovely and full of blooms.. and still has “visitors”…. LOL. So, next year I will definitely try this!! Thanks so much for your advice and sharing!!!
I used this for aphids on my roses and it helped a lot! Hope it can work for you too 🙂
I hope so I have some beautiful lupine and when they are are the prettiest is when they get covered with the aphids, will try the Murphy’s oil soap thank you
Any idea if this DIY Insecticidal spray will repel Japanese Beetles?
I’ve not had experience with japenese beetles, but the manufacturer of Murphy Oil soap says it’s good for all types of insects on plants! It’s worth a try to see
Will this repel bees? We need those!
No, it doesn’t impact bees
Thank you for sharing. Please share your instagram link.
Hi! It is linked before the recipe, but here is the link to it for you 🙂
Do you have any natural medicine for moles in the ground to get rid of? They are tearing up my whole backyard.
I don’t have anything specific written about them, but many readers have used tips in this post for moles and it helped!
Hi Alexis. Good to know about Murphy’s oil soap! Are you using the ready to spray formula or the concentrate? I have both. Thanks!
Hi Laurie! I use the original formula for everything and it is concentrated 🙂
Good Morning, Alexis:
I am so excited about this spray and plan to whip some up later today. Will you please tell us how often we should spray our plants — weekly or only when we see insects on them?
Have a great day, Alexis — you are Wonderful!
You can use it in both ways! Some of my insect prone plants, I just spray on it every week or every 2 weeks. Other plants, I just do it when I see issues. So, you can try it either way 🙂
I live in Acapulo MX and we have leafcutting ants https://download-a.akamaihd.net/files/content_assets/f0/502019461_E_cnt_1_r720P.mp4
Thank goodness I don’t have but a few thousands but can destroy a entire plant in one day. Do you think if I spray them with this it might work? Or with Borax so they bring it back to the nest? The “nest”is not in my yard.
Borax typically only works if you can do it directly on their nest or on their path. This spray is meant to keep them off the plant, but it won’t necessarily kill them if sprayed directly. We have a homemade ant spray found here, but this one is not meant to be sprayed on plants. You might try a combination of things to keep them away.
Is this safe to use on fruit and vegetable plants?
We have readers that use it on both fruits and vegetables, but I have only used it on flowering plants. It should be safe though
Can peppermint or eucalyptus oil be used instead of lemon oil?
Yes you can use either. I have had better luck with lemon, but other oils can be substituted
Good ideas!…..
Thanks!!
Hi Alexis, will this get rid of gnats? Those little buggers are the bane of my existence and I cannot seem to get rid of them.
This can help with gnats on plants! I also use this DIY gnat and fly spray around my porch that has helped.