---
title: Natural Pest Control for the Garden
date: 2008-07-01T17:48:41Z
modified: 2008-07-01T17:48:41Z
permalink: "https://elizabethyarnell.com/natural-pest-control-for-the-garden/"
type: post
status: publish
excerpt: ""
wpid: 3771
categories:
  - Books
  - Gardening
  - Recipes
tags:
  - garden pest repellent
  - natural pest control
  - organic gardening
author: Elizabeth
---

Something is eating my spinach leaves.![holey leaf](http://elizabethyarnell.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/holey_leaf.jpg)

I do believe this is the dirty work of little caterpillars, but it could be something else. I know for sure that it is not the work of the [baby cat face spider](http://www.effortlesseating.com/archives/28 "cat face spider") I saw roaming among the leaves of my [lettuce garden](http://www.effortlesseating.com/archives/156 "lettuce garden") this spring (we were thrilled to see the offspring of last summer’s special pet!), since spiders eat bugs, not leaves.

Something had to be done.

I picked up a fresh habanero pepper at the grocery store (these are also called Scotch Bonnet peppers) to mix up a batch of my homemade pest repellent. It’s so easy to make, and you don’t end up with all those chemicals of store-bought brands of pest control. Since we garden organically, chemicals are not even an option.

![chile pepper insect repellent](http://elizabethyarnell.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/chile_spray.jpg)

Once home, I donned latex gloves and sliced up the chile to expose the flesh. Then I poured boiling water over it and let it steep for a half hour or so. When it cooled, I strained it into a spray container and added some organic [dishwashing liquid](http://www.effortlesseating.com/archives/112 "organic dishwashing iiquid"). The soap helps the chile spray stick to the leaves. Then I headed out to spray.![Dead Daisies Make Me Crazy](http://rcm-images.amazon.com/images/I/51N7Q998YJL._SL110_.jpg)

At this point, my lettuce garden is almost done until I restart it in the fall, but I want to savor every leaf remaining — washed well, of course!!

By the way, I learned to do this from my favorite gardening book: [Dead Daisies Make Me Crazy: Garden Solutions Without Chemical Pollution](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580081568?ie=UTF8&tag=lizoneandmore-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1580081568)![](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=lizoneandmore-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1580081568)

<br /> <img src=”http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/noscript?tag=lizoneandmore-20″ mce\_src=”http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/noscript?tag=lizoneandmore-20″ alt=”” /><br />