Hand-picking

blister beetles, soapy water

Hand-picking is a very effective, simple and FREE organic pest control method. Especially for insects that don’t overwhelm your garden by the hundreds (such as aphids!).

All it involves is removing the troublesome insects from the plants.. You can wear gloves if you’re feeling squeamish, or just clip off the branch that the bug is on and discard it. 

You don’t want to drop the insect onto the ground, however. Or the branch they were on, for that matter, because they’ll just go elsewhere. You need to dispatch them.

The method I use is super easy and won’t cost you a cent. I eat a lot of yogurt so I buy it by the quart. When I’ve finished eating one, I clean the lid and container, then set it aside. If I need to hand-pick troublesome insects, I fill the container about 1/2 full with water. Then I add 2 squirts of dish soap.

I carry it to the area where the insects are and sneakily knock them off the plant into the container. When I’m finished, I snap the lid on and leave it in our garage. That way, it’s ready to go for the next time. At some point, I’ll dump out the water and carcasses, and add clean water and soap.

You would be amazed at how well this works!

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