Neem oil for eradicating houseplant fungus gnat - How to make the solution?

Tara

Hello

I have read some very positive reviews about how neem oil is good at killing many of the usual houseplant bugs, and I want to give it a try to hopefully kill off the fungus gnats we have here.

I know that the neem oil has to be diluted (with a soap I think?) but I have no idea of the mixing ratio. 

* Does anyone know please?

 

My other question is this....

* Are there any houseplants that would suffer if sprayed with neem oil?  I will have to treat all of my plants, and I have plants that I really love and would hate to lose

 

Thanks in advance!

Tara

Manhattan Jewess

I found this on http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/neem-oil-uses.htm   It's a great site. Actually the neem oil generally has instructions on the back.

Helping Your Plants With A Neem Oil Foliar Spray

                                                

Image by jeffreyw

By Heather Rhoades

With today’s push for more organic gardening in the home garden, it can be hard to balance using natural cures for common problems and still getting a pretty display or a good harvest. While most organic pesticides are not as effective as their chemical counterparts, there is one exception, and this is neem oil. Neem oil can not only effectively kill the pests on your plants (without hurting beneficial bugs like bees) but it can also eliminate most fungus problems as well. If you are wondering what is neem used for and how can I use a neem oil foliar spray, keep reading to learn the answer.

What is Neem Used For?

A neem oil foliar spray is used in the garden one of two ways. One way is as an insecticide and the other is as a fungicide.

Neem Oil As An Insecticide

Neem oil is an effective insecticide against many insects that can hurt your plants. These include:

• Aphids
• Mealybugs
• Mites
• Scale
• Japanese beetles
• Whiteflies
• Any pest that chews or suck on the plant

An additional bonus for neem oil insecticide is that it does not kill bugs that do not chew on leaves. All beneficial bugs fall into this category, so you can spray your plants with this organic spray and be sure that you will kill the undesirable bugs while keeping the bugs that help you plants, like bees, butterflies and spiders.

Neem oil insecticide is unique in that it does not immediately kill the insects it affects. Instead, for reasons not yet understood by scientists, neem oil insecticide causes a pest to be unable to maintain hydration, which in turn kills it. So

fidgetbones

Using neem oil undiluted used to be recommended as a natural  pesticide for head lice. It was not found to be very effective.

Tara

Hi

I've bought some nematodes instead (from Nemasys) which are eco friendly, will not harm any of my plants, and they kill the larvae very effectively.

I have also bought some sticky traps to hang by the plants to get rid of the adults.

Many thanks for the replies