Vinegar is perhaps the one thing in your kitchen that has the most applications. It can be used for cooking, salad dressing, hair masks, cleaning solutions, as a degreaser and even as a pest control solution. WHAT?! Yes, natural aphid spray vinegar is used by many hobby gardeners because of its effectiveness.
As a matter of fact, it can take care of other insects as well, not just aphids, and it can be used as a weed killer, too. Today we are going to explore the uses of vinegar as a pesticide spray.
- Things you need in order to make your vinegar pesticide spray
- How to mix your vinegar pesticide spray
- How to apply the vinegar pesticide spray
- Takeaways
You will love this content if you:
- Are a hobby gardener;
- Have an ant, snail or aphid infestation;
- Are looking for a natural weed killer;
- Have a lawn.
Things you need in order to make your vinegar pesticide spray
If you’re thinking about spraying vinegar on plants, you need to consider the acid concentration of that spray. If it is too high, you might damage your plants. This is why vinegar is used as a weed killer.
But you don’t want that for your beloved plants, right? This is why we use a low acid concentration apple cider vinegar to get rid of ants and other critters. Apple cider vinegar and other kinds, like wine vinegar and white vinegar, have an acid concentration of around 5% (acetic acid). When it’s mixed with water and soap, this percentage drops even lower, and it poses little to no threat to your plants.
Things you would need:
- Vinegar – 200/300ml;
- Water – 1.7/8L;
- Soap – one tablespoon;
- Garden sprayer – 2L.
There is a type of vinegar, which has a 20% concentration of acids, available on the market. (It is not for consumption.) You should avoid spraying that vinegar on plants. It is mostly used as a weed killer, but it has some unwanted effects so you are better off pulling any weeds out by hand.
How to mix your vinegar pesticide spray
Steps:
- Fill your mixing container (garden spray) with roughly one litre of water.
- Add one tablespoon of soap.
- Pour in 200-300ml or 400ml of vinegar (depends on the purpose of the spray).
- Top it off with water.
- Shake well.
It is worth putting a little thought into this one. If you are going to use the apple cider vinegar to get rid of ants, the concentration of acids can be a bit higher. You can go with 300-400ml of vinegar in such cases.
You should remember that the higher the concentration is, or, in other words, the more vinegar you put inside the container, the more dangerous it becomes to spray the mixture on top of plants. If you are going for a natural aphid spray vinegar, you will need to spray it on the plants, so you should go for 200ml of vinegar.
Remember to always test-spray and wait for 48 hours before treating all of the plants. This is recommended for all homemade pesticides.
How to apply the vinegar pesticide spray
Once again, it depends on the purpose of this DIY spray. This is why we will first talk about how to apply the aphid-repellent solution you’ve made, and then the one against ants.
Natural aphid spray from vinegar
If you went for the anti-aphid option, you can spray the mixture directly on your plants. If your plants are okay, then the results after the test-spray are positive and your concoction is ready for use! If they are not, dilute your spray with water and test again.
In order to treat aphid infestations, you need to cover the entire plant and pay close attention to the bottom side of the leaves. Spray twice a week in the evenings or early mornings. In case of rain, you should re-apply the spray afterwards, because the water will wash it off. The acid in the vinegar will kill soft-body insects upon contact. If you are not happy with the results, we recommend trying out the neem oil homemade spray instead.
White vinegar to kill ants
If you are using your vinegar pesticide spray to deal with ants, your goal is to deter the pests from your plants. Therefore, you should spray around the plants and on any ant pathways you see. The vinegar will remove the pheromones with which ants mark their routes, which render them unable to find their way back.
Go around the fence of your garden and spray well, the pungent smell of vinegar deters other animals and insects, too. If you are having troubles with slugs and snails, a thorough spray with vinegar and a couple of beer traps could resolve it in a matter of days.
Don’t spray large portions of your lawn, because the vinegar can ruin your ryegrass.
Some garden pests can invade your living space as well. If you have suspicions that there are critters invading your property call in an exterminator for an inspection, at least. If the pests have enough time to reproduce and set up nests, the treatment will be much harder and more expensive.
Don’t waste time! Let an expert look around your property and establish whether or not you are actually dealing with a pest infestation. This might save you money in the long run. Take a closer look at the treatments we offer…
Takeaways
- Too much vinegar can ruin your plants;
- Homemade vinegar sprays are used for weed management as well;
- Calculate your vinegar dosage, depending on what are you using the spray for;
- Always test spray and area.
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