White Oil Insecticide
Image by Maya A. P from Pixabay
| In This Article | |
|---|---|
| How To Make White Oil | How to Apply |
| Frequency to Apply | Why Does it Work |
White oil, commonly referred to as horticultural oil, is a pesticide that may be easily and affordably made at home using ingredients that are already on hand. On ornamental plants like roses, citrus and other fruit trees, aphids, mealybugs, mites, caterpillars, scale, and mealybug larvae are all controlled using it.
Commercial white oil or horticultural oil pesticides marketed in garden centres are petroleum-based; they are essentially simply refined paraffin oil combined with an emulsifier (additive to make them water-solouble). They’re fairly pricey, and they’re also not something you want in the soil since they take years to degrade.
It is simple and affordable to make white oil for use as an insecticide. Let’s look at how white oil is made and why it functions as an insecticide.
White oil Spray Made at Home
While there are many homemade recipes available, this well-known white oil recipe for DIYers appears to be one of the simplest:
You’ll require:
- One cup (250 ml) of inexpensive cooking oil ( vegetable or sunflower oil works well ).
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) inexpensive dishwashing liquid (any non-concentrated type).
Procedure:
- Fill a wide-mouth container or jar with one cup of vegetable oil.
- Include 1/4 cup of dish soap.
- Shake the mixture till it turns white.
This white oil is concentrated and has to be diluted with water before usage.
This handmade horticultural oil extract should be kept in a cold, dry location. From the day it is created, the shelf life is around 3 months.
How to Apply a Spray of White Oil
This oil should be applied at a rate of 15ml (1 tablespoon) per litre of water. Adjust the amount to fit the spray bottle’s size.
Fill a spray container with 15ml (1 tablespoon) of the white oil concentration. Add 1 litre of water to the spray container, then secure the cap. Shake the spray container vigorously before spraying your plants or trees. The optimal times to spray horticultural oils are early in the day or late in the evening. To target pests wherever they may be hiding, apply horticultural oils on both sides of the leaves, branches, and bark.
If you opted for the bucket, grab a disposable cloth and dip it in the mixture. Till your plant has an uniform covering, wipe every square inch of it. The wiping technique is effective for dealing with dense infestations since it physically removes the pests while suffocating those that are left behind.
How Frequently Should White Oils Be Applied?
- Apply two treatments, three to five days apart, for aphids, two-spotted mites (red spider mites), and whiteflies on ornamental plants, strawberries, and vegetables. Replicate if pests recur. Over a 4 to 8 week period, don’t spray plants more than three times.
- Apply two sprays 7 days apart for scale control on fruit plants.
- Begin spraying new summer growth on citrus trees as soon as it appears, before the leaves reach 10 mm (3/8′′) in length, and repeat every 5-14 days as fresh flush growth is generated. Stop spraying when the majority of the new leaves generated during a flush cycle begin to harden or are longer than 40 mm (1.6′′). Apply no more than 8 times every season.
Why Is White Oil Effective?
White oil works by slathering soft-bodied insects with oil, such as mites and aphids. The water makes the combination flexible enough to allow for easy spraying while the soap aids in the oil’s adhesion to the bug. These two components work together to suffocate the insects. Regular treatments may be required to keep pests at bay.