How to Protect Your Plants from Common Garden Pests

INSIDE: SEE THE GREATEST, MOST NATURAL WAY TO PROTECT YOUR PLANTS FROM COMMON GARDEN PESTS

I have looked everywhere and tried everything to get rid of the ants in my garden. WITHOUT success. Today I will share with you the method that actually works. But you must have patience grasshoppers.

First, let me say, I think ants are the most hideous creatures. Nothing should be able to carry something 1,000 times bigger than itself. It isn’t normal…it’s FREAKY! If you don’t feel the same, don’t keep reading. I am not nice to these things. I fail to see their use in the world, and more importantly, my garden.

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Let’s start with my precious eggplants. I am the only one in the house that likes them, so I only did ONE plant this year. AND the ants took over. Every time there was a fruit forming…..DESTROYED!

I have….

Cut the bottom leaves off
Put salt around the base of the plant.
Made a baking soda line around the plant.
Put both directly into the mound.
Spread peppermint leaves around the plant.

NOTHING WORKED!

UNTIL – I had this really smart, much ~~older~~ wiser, lady (my mom) tell me about this stuff that a friend gave her. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this stuff before.

Supplies –

Directions –

The recipe is 1 oz for every gallon of water but I’m using 8oz spray bottles so……

Here come my math skills – 128oz in a gallon = 0.06oz of Neem Oil for 8oz if water. 1tsp is 0.5oz. Therefore, I gave up on using math and decided that 1/4 tsp per 8oz was gonna work. 😂😂

Pour 1/4 tsp on Neem Oil into your bottle
Add a squirt (if you are the measuring kind….1/4 tsp should do the trick) of Better Life dish soap
Slowly add water to the top
Replace the sprayer and shake gently

Now you can spray the plants you are trying to save (precious eggplants, in my case).

The ants don’t die on contact…. and Neem oil does have a very strong odor!

After spraying the plants, I removed all the fruits they had already invaded and crossed my fingers…………..

The next morning, I went to check on my precious.

It worked!!! I finally found a way to get rid of pesky ants. But I was still skeptical….maybe it was all those other things combined with this new found power?

So I went searching for more creatures from the dark.

Ah Ha…..the hibiscus plants next to the pool. We have been struggling all summer with ants invading the pool deck. Well, eventually the creepy crawlers found my hibiscus. BASTARDS!

I decided that I would try the spray on the hibiscus. I sprayed them every morning for one week….GUESS what?!?!?! It worked! And now they are on the mend! (Sorry I didn’t take pictures!)

I was so impressed with this stuff, I sprayed all over the pool deck and around the back door….doesn’t work as well when there isn’t something for it to hold onto. For example, the concrete soaked it right in and only scared the monsters away for a bit.

Lesson:

Works great on plants, not so great on patios.

Happy Hunting,

How to Protect Your Plants from Common Garden Pests