I love planting a garden, but I hate having to use harsh chemicals to get rid of the bugs eating the plants and produce. It seems to defeat the purpose of growing a garden for healthier produce if you are just going to use chemicals to get rid of the bugs. 
My friend gave me this recipe she has used to get rid of bugs using ingredients you can find around the house. Best part is, there are no harsh chemicals! I always get Squash bugs on my Zucchini, pumpkins and squash so I’m so excited to use this!
Ingredients
- Clove of Garlic
- 2 Onions
- Jalapeno Pepper
- Dish Soap
Chop the veggies and throw them in the blender.
Place the mixture into a pot of warm water on the stove.
Boil and let sit for up to 30 minutes. Warning, it is very strong smelling.
When it is done sitting, strain the pulp of the veggies from the mixture. So you are left with strong smelling water. Add 1 1/2 TBLS of dish soap, and pour into your spray bottle. Just spray the leaves and stem of the plant, and the smell will keep those bugs away! Just remember this isn’t filled with harsh chemicals, so it might take a few days of spraying to get rid of the bugs!
Organic Gardening
About Kearna
It all began on October 8th, 2008. Cathy and Monica started this coupon blog to help friends and family learn about their new money saving hobby couponing! Since then they have taught thousands of women (and men) 
And if you have aphids on your roses – put about a tablespoon of “Ivory” liquid dish soap into a small spray bottle. Fill with water and shake. Spray on the underneath side of rose leaves or any plant leaf with aphids. This has worked for me. Or for a real safe alternative to get rid of aphids – lady bugs will kill aphids. You can buy a supply of lady bugs at the garden supply store.
Great tips, thanks Ardelle!
Sorry to disappoint you, but this recipe will not kill squash bugs. I swear they could survive a nuclear blast. It will, however, get rid of ants, earwigs, and other nasty little creatures that gnaw at your plants, especially bill bugs. Just be careful not to spray too much on. You can kill tender plants with such a “hot” recipe. Another common sense thought…Don’t spray on the fruits themselves or you will end up with garlic green beans or jalapeno cucumbers.
Oh Monica, don’t tell me that! Great now what am I going to do? Thanks for the tips though!
You do what I do…Turn over the leaves of your zucchini plants one by one and either scrape off or squish all of the eggs. It’s time consuming and they don’t like to squish on the leaves without making holes in the leaves, but it works. I scrape them with my fingernail into a bucket and then destroy them all at the same time. If you see any adults, squish them too. They are most active in the evenings and mornings so that is a good time to have a “squish” party. Notice I didn’t say “squash party”. Not funny, I know. Sorry!
My dad would vacuum them off the leaves. Strange, yes. Effective? Yes! Ha ha!
I know. Your Dad showed me that when I would complain about the nasty things. I would hear his vacuum in the back yard and immediately know what he was up to. Ha Ha!
This is a good recipe. But be aware that one of the most harmful chemical families is phosphates. They get into the water system and poison the fish, etc… Why mention this? Well, most dish soaps are relatively high in phosphates. So if you’re looking for “organic” or “green”, pay attention to what your soap has in it.
Another option is diatomaceous earth for getting rid of bugs. I’ve had some luck with it and squash bugs.
Diatomaceous earth is awesome when it is dry but useless when wet & I love that it is safe but ONLY if it is food grade type-found at feed stores. However, it is important to note that it will kill beneficial bugs too like bees so be strategic in applying it. It is also a good de-wormer. I use it to prevent/kill fleas. Useful dirt!
I got rid of a terrible squash bug infestation last year by simply spraying the bugs and eggs with dishsoap and water solution in a spray bottle. It was super easy and did the trick!