Gardening whizz shares ‘satisfying’ 62p hack to get rid of plant pests, and there’s a specific time of day to try it out
A GREEN-FINGERED woman shared the item she uses to tackle pests in her flowerbeds.
She demonstrated the simple trick she swears by for keeping bugs from her garden.
In her viral video, TikTok user Jessica (@fromdreamtoseed) showed her followers the budget-friendly technique.
She used the hack to tackle Japanese Beetles and Harlequin Bugs on her plants.
Jessica revealed that she uses washing up liquid and water to remove the insects from her garden.
You can pick up a bottle of dish soap for just 62p from your local Sainsbury's.
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After filling a bucket with water and washing up liquid, she carried it to her flowerbeds.
Jessica also shared the best time of day to use the two-ingredient solution.
"The trick is to do this in the evening when all the bugs are a little bit more sluggish," she explained.
Once she had placed the bucket below her plants, she began shaking all the branches directly over it.
The bugs clinging to the leaves quickly fell into the soapy water, while she picked others directly off with her hands.
Experts at Penn University explained why soap is an effective way to tackle bugs.
"The soap will break the cell membrane and the cell will die," they reported in a study.
Jessica praised the easy trick, revealing why it was her go-to method of pest control.
"This method of pest control is easy, it’s effective, it’s oddly satisfying, and best of all it’s completely harmless to those beneficial insects," she said.
She added that it is also a good way to differentiate between beneficial bugs and ones that are damaging your plants.
Her followers shared their thoughts on the technique in the comments section.
Tips for keeping pests from your garden
- Plant companion plants such as peppermint to repel rats.
- Place Garden Netting Pest Barrier, over your flowerbeds.
- Fill open-top containers with beer and place in soil to repel slugs.
- Spray plants with Neem Oil, to repel ants, flies, and spiders.
- Dust your flowerbeds with Diatomaceous Earth.
- Mix 1 tablespoon dish soap, 10 drops peppermint oil, and 4 cups water and spray on flowerbeds.
- Place eggshells around your plants to protect from slugs and snails.
"Japanese Beetles are hitting my garden hard right now," wrote one inspired viewer.
"Bugs use my plants for their honeymoon!" joked another TikTok user.
"I really wish I could do this but I’m deathly afraid of all of those things you just touched and just about everything else," said a third person.
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"So I let them destroy everything and cry about it [on the] inside."
Jessica suggested using a handheld vacuum if you're afraid of touching bugs.
