Basic Soap Spray

• 1). Warm 1 gallon of water. This can be warmed on the stove or in the microwave. Do not heat the water to the boiling point, but just until it's warm to the touch.
  
  
• 2). Add 2 tbsp. of biodegradable dish soap to the warm water and stir gently.
  
  
• 3). Pour the warm mixture into a spray bottle and immediately spray the soapy water on plants infected with soft-bodied insects such as aphids, white flies and thrips. The soap penetrates the soft cell membranes of an insect's body and causes the insect to dry out.
  
  

Basic Soap and Oil Spray

• 1). Pour 1 cup of vegetable oil--such as safflower, corn or canola--into a 2-quart container with a lid.
  
  
• 2). Add 1 tbsp. of biodegradable dishwashing liquid to the vegetable oil and gently stir them together, using a wooden spoon.
  
  
• 3). Add 1 tbsp. of the soap and oil mixture to 2 cups of water to treat hardy plants, or add 1 tsp. of the soap and oil mix to 2 cups of water for delicate plants, then pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
  
  
• 4). Shake the bottle often to keep the oil and water mixed while spraying your infected plants. Do not wash it off. This mixture will coat the insects and smother them.