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10 Common Home And Garden Pests Neem Oil Can Take Care Of
By JAHAIRA ARTHUR
Fleas
Fleas often enter homes through pets. Luckily, neem oil can repel fleas, delay their growth, stop their eggs from hatching, and keep them from feeding, leading to their death.
If the pests are on your pets, dilute the neem oil in olive oil in a 1:10 ratio and spray it on them. However, check with your vet first and ensure the pets don't ingest the oil.
Mosquitoes
While neem oil may not work on adult mosquitoes, it acts as an insecticide that can eradicate these pests in the larva stage when used in a high concentration.
When applied to the larvae, the oil causes the young mosquitoes to stop eating, and they can eventually die within 24 hours.
Fruit flies
Fruit flies plague the plants and the fresh produce you bring home. Since they develop underground, apply neem oil directly to the soil to keep their pupae from growing.
Unlike other pesticides, neem oil doesn't kill the beneficial parasitic wasps growing inside the pupae, so it's a simple, non-toxic method of controlling fruit fly infestations.
Cockroaches
Neem oil works like an insecticide for young cockroaches and can prevent the adults from laying eggs, minimizing their spread. Just dilute the oil with water first.
Next, spray the critters or their high-traffic areas. Alternatively, you can use neem powder, or bait the roaches with food infused with neem to stunt
their growth.
Mealybugs
Neem oil can deter mealybugs from your plants. If the invasion has already started, the oil is still beneficial, as it can curb the bugs' feeding, killing them over time.
A mixture of 2 tablespoons of neem oil, 1 quart of water, and a small amount of dish soap can be sprayed onto the bugs to eliminate them.