How to get rid of white bugs on hibiscus

Insecticidal soaps work well against the pests that plague hibiscus plants, and you can even make up a solution yourself with ingredients that are already in your home. Add 1 tablespoon of any liquid dish soap to a quart of water, and mix gently. Pour the solution into a spray bottle for easy application.

Little white bugs on hibiscus plants are usually aphids. They come in white, black or green and gather on the flower stems and buds in order to feed. They do so by inserting a beak-like stylet into the plant and sucking out nectar.

Use rubbing alcohol

For smaller infestations, soak a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and wipe down every inch of the plant. Alcohol only kills the bugs by direct contact, so you may need to do a few applications. After you feel like the population is sufficiently taken care of, rinse the plant a few times with water.

Make a homemade aphid trap by mixing a cup each of sugar, water and vinegar in an empty gallon-sized water jug. Chop a banana peel into small 1-inch pieces and add it to the mixture. Hang the jug with the lid off at, on or near your hibiscus for a week.

Try insecticidal soap, narrow-range oil or neem oil to control aphids. Because these pesticides kill aphids on contact and produce no residual control, completely saturating the infested hibiscus plant is essential. Remember to spray the undersides of leaves because aphids often hide there.

Not only is vinegar effective in killing aphids and ants, but it is also better for the environment. This homemade solution can combat pests while still keeping a healthy garden for beneficial insects like bees and lady bugs. This makes it a cheap, available solution in a time of haste and need.

Natural Pest Repellent

Cut up banana peels to bury 1 to 2 inches deep in the soil around plants that are prone to aphid infestations to repel and remove aphids from the area. Orange peels contain d-Limonene, a natural chemical that destroys the waxy coating on ants and aphids, causing them to suffocate and die.

Place a yellow glass with a couple of drops of dish soap and water. The bugs will be attracted to it, and when they enter the glass filled with soapy water, they will drown.

Eliminate populations of banana aphids that are living on non-banana hosts within the vicinity of your bananas; use sprays of an approved insecticide to eliminate them. Control ants. Control ants if possible and lawful; ants aggressively protect aphids from natural enemies. Boric acid baits can work on organic farms.

Marigolds, known for being able to drive away all kinds of pests, have a scent that keeps aphids far away. Catnip, known for attracting cats, also has a way of repelling most other pests, aphids included. Some other fragrant herbs, such as fennel, dill, and cilantro are also known to deter aphids.

Something to consider is that aphids are attracted to plants with soft new growth. Over-watering or over-fertilizing your plants may make them more enticing to an aphid population, and may have other negative connotations for your plants too.

Spearmint and peppermint are reputed to work well against insects like mosquitoes, flies, and spiders, making them ideal for the backyard garden. On the other hand, pennyroyal mint (Mentha pulegium) is said to repel ticks and fleas.

Try soap and water

Pour 1 quart of water into a spray bottle and add 4 teaspoons of the detergent to reach a desired 2% percent concentration, and give each plant a good spray. This mixture won’t take care of all houseplant pests, but it will successfully dehydrate some of the soft-bodied bugs living on your plants.

Nix Plant Pests

A 50-50 white vinegar and water solution repels insects such as midge flies. You can use it on plants and surfaces, such as patio tables and outdoor bar counters. Because of its acidity, always dilute white vinegar before spraying it on plants. Straight vinegar may damage or kill plants.

Soaps and detergents are toxic to plants. A strong solution of soapy water sprayed onto foliage can disintegrate the leaves’ waxy coating, resulting in water loss and the eventual dehydration death of the plant.

Use water and dish soap

Fill a quart jar with water and a squirt of dish soap and hold it under the branches of plants where beetles are resting. Tap the branches. The beetles will fall into the jar and the dish soap will smother them.

Try a homemade soap-and-water solution.

A simple solution of water and dish soap can suffocate Japanese beetles. Grab a bucket and mix a quart of water with a teaspoon of dish soap.

Garlic: The scent of garlic is unappealing to many garden pests, and Japanese beetles are no exception. You can use garlic one of two ways. First, plant garlic as an outer border for your garden to keep the bugs away. Secondly, make a spray using garlic powder and baby oil.

Mix 4 tablespoons of dish soap with water inside a spray bottle. This simple solution makes for a great, all natural Japanese Beetle pesticide. Spray on any beetles you see on or around your lawn & garden.