A green-fingered woman shared the remedy she uses to combat pests in her flower beds.
She showed the simple trick she swears by to keep insects out of her garden.
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In her viral videoTikTok user Jessica (@fromdreamtoseed) showed her followers the budget-friendly technique.
She used the trick to tackle Japanese beetles and harlequin bugs on her plants.
Jessica shared that she uses dish soap and water to remove the bugs from her yard.
At your local Sainsbury’s you can buy a bottle of washing up liquid for just 62p.
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After filling a bucket with water and dish soap, she carried it to her flower beds.
Jessica also shared the best time of day to use the two-ingredient solution.
“The trick is to do this in the evening, when all the insects are a little slower,” she explains.
After placing the bucket under her plants, she began shaking all the branches directly above it.
The insects that were stuck to the leaves quickly fell into the soapy water, while the others she immediately picked off with her hands.
Experts at Penn University explained why soap is an effective means of controlling insects.
“The soap will break the cell membrane and the cell will die,” they report in a study.
Jessica praised the simple trick and shared why it’s her favorite method for pest control.
“This method of pest control is simple, effective, extremely satisfying and best of all, it is completely harmless to beneficial insects,” she said.
She added that it’s also a good way to distinguish between beneficial insects and those that are harmful to your plants.
Her followers shared their thoughts on the technique in the comments.
Tips to keep pests out of your garden
- Plant plants like peppermint to repel rats.
- Place Garden Net Pest Barrierover your flower beds.
- Fill open containers with beer and place them in the ground to repel slugs.
- Spraying plants with Neem oilto repel ants, flies and spiders.
- Sprinkle your flower beds with Diatomaceous earth.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid, 10 drops of peppermint oil and 4 cups of water and spray this on the flower beds.
- Place eggshells around your plants to protect them from slugs.
“My garden is currently being infested with Japanese beetles,” wrote one enthusiastic viewer.
“Bugs are using my plants for their honeymoon!” joked another TikTok user.
“I wish I could do this but I’m terrified of all those things you just touched and everything else,” said a third person.
“So I let them destroy everything and cry about it [on the] inside.”
Jessica recommends using a dustbuster if you’re afraid of touching insects.
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