No-Spray Bug Solutions

Try a few of these 7 methods to deter bugs without resorting to pesticides.

- —Jennifer Howell

Is there anything worse than seeing a crop of cabbage devoured by cabbage loopers?

Or your roses and fruit trees skeletonized by Japanese beetles? Even when you do all the right things to grow strong, healthy plants, sometimes insect pests invade and wreak havoc. Though you may be tempted to reach for a pesticide spray, here are seven eco-friendly ways to protect your plants from pesky insects.

1 A STREAM OF WATER

Something as simple as hosing a plant down goes a long way toward keeping soft-bodied insects at bay. A strong stream of water will knock them off, often killing them in the process.

Tropical hibiscus, above, is a favorite snack for many aphids (Aphis spp.), especially tender new growth, flower buds and petals. Blast them off with water from a fine sprayer or hose nozzle. For extra control, add 2 tsp. of Dawn dish soap per pint of water and spray the plants down with a pump sprayer — the soapy film adheres to the aphids, removing their protective coating and causing them to dry out and die. A bonus: Adding soap helps clean off any sticky honeydew left behind by the aphids' feeding. Be sure to rinse the plant with fresh water afterward to prevent soap residue from clogging the plant's pores.

Also use this method on:

• Oleander aphids (Aphis nerii)

• Twospotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae)

• Whiteflies (Trialeurodes vaporariorum)

2 HAND PLUCKING

For large, easy-to-spot pests, it's easy to handpick and squash them or drop them into a bucket of soapy water to drown. Remove smaller, harder-to-pick insects by trimming off branches, leaves or flowers that are infested.

COMMON OFFENDER Tobacco budworm (