Safer 5118-6 Insect Killing Soap Concentrate - Insecticidal Soap for Plants - Kills Aphids, Whiteflies, Thrips, Spider Mites, and More - OMRI Listed for Organic Use

I really love this stuff. I had a severe case of aphids that spread rapidly. So much so, I was actually considering just tossing the infected plants which is not something iv ever done because my plants are like my babies. I didnt want to use any store bought pesticides because in the past, even with following the directions exactly, my plants always ended up getting chemical burns. I have two cats who love to nibble when im not around and a 3 year old who shares my loves for plants and is always helping to water and care for them. I needed something strong enough to take care of this problem but mild enough to cause no harm to my daughter, cats and the plants themselves. I did a ton of research and decided this was my best choice. Im soo pleased with how well this worked. The smell is strong but thats mother natures fault lol I just tried not to breath it in, I also wore gloves and sprayed them down away from where we hang out outside. Being its summer, I let them hang out outside for a few days under my table umbrella and would check on them daily. I would say 90% of the aphids were dead by day one and by day 3 any leftovers slowly died off as well. The plants didnt get any burns at all, in fact I feel like they all look healthier and stronger then before all this happened. I would 100% recommend this. I plan on doing this bi yearly to all my plants as a way to prevent infestations in the future. A couple complaints iv read were that the bottle you get is smaller then it looks in the pictures because it has a handle and most bottles with handles are meant for gallons, although I agree the pictures can give off that impression, its really not a problem considering one treatment doesn't require a lot of product, so I don't find that to even be a problem. In fact I like that its smaller because it was easier to pour and control plus storing it doesn't take a lot of space. Another complaint was that when it arrived it solidified, yes mine was this way as well, but I simply left it out in the sun while I set up my treatment area and got everything I needed together and by the time I was ready to use (about 30 minutes) it was melted enough that I was able to use it. By the time I put everything away it was completely melted. It sais in the directions that you can always heat up some water and let the bottle sit in the water for a bit (like heating up a bottle for a baby). Again not a big deal and for how well this product worked is certainly not going to stop me from purchasing again when I run out. In short, it was effective, easy to use and considering its natural and safe, its a no brainer.

I use this product primarily to keep aphids off my broccoli, cabbage, onions, kale, and plum tree. So far, I've had a lot of good success with it and it hasn't damaged my plants like some other products that I've used in the past. There's a couple of tricks to this product. First, most of the pests congregate on the bottom-side of leaves so you need to have a strategy to access and spray the bottom-side. Spraying the topside of the leaves is a waste of time and won't do anything for you. My method of getting to the underside of the leaves without being a contortionist is to use a pump sprayer that has a wand with an angled tip. Second, don't be cheap. Once you access the underside of the leaves, give them a good spray and make sure all critters are fully soaked. Ever notice how your hands feel dry if you wash them often with soap? That's exactly how this product works...it "dries out" the critters. That's why it's so important to make sure the critters are fully soaked. As an added bonus, I've realized that this product can also kill soft bodied caterpillars that also love to chew on most plant leaves. I've successfully used this product on my apple and cherry trees to get rid of caterpillars; the only trick is that you have to catch the critters in the act. That said, if you have a heavy caterpillar infestation, you're better off using BT instead of this product. Safer Brands offers a BT formula that I use and is very effective if you have lots of caterpillars around. Buying the concentrate is the way to go from a $$ perspective. It's not that hard to make a spray solution. I use 2-4 tbsp of the product in a 1 gallon pump bottle and then fill it up to the top with water. Shake well and you're ready to go. A funnel is not necessary but certainly makes it easier to fill the bottle without getting the concentrate or water everywhere. Depending on the level of infestation you have, you can adjust the concentration up or down by adding a few more or a few less tbsp of the concentrate. I recommend starting at a lower concentration (i.e. 2 tbsp/gallon of water) and working your way up based on an assessment of how effective the previous spraying was. Always spray in early morning or late afternoon when the temperatures are cool and the plants aren't getting direct sunlight. Otherwise, you risk burning the leaves. Now some final thoughts. If you find yourself using this product every week to keep critters under control, you should really examine your cultural practices. In a healthy garden, the plants should be able to ward off most infestations and there should always be predators (i.e. good bugs like spiders and lady beetles) roaming around that are munching on the bad bugs. I use this product no more than half a dozen times a season, when extraordinary circumstances (i.e. a heat wave) lead to an explosion of aphids and Mother Nature isn't able to keep up. Recent update: I had an ant infestation this year unlike anything I've seen before. There was a 200 feet trail of ants along my fence line and there were thousands of them going back and forth. Ants are known to shepherd aphids so getting rid of them was a priority. I used poison granules leftover from a previous application and all the ants did was shift their route by about a foot. I tried cinnamon. I tried corn meal. I tried boric acid. I tried vinegar. Nothing was working. I finally told my wife that I was going to pick up a can of Raid on the way home from work. But then I wondered if insecticidal soap would get rid of the ants since they don't have a shell and are considered a soft bodied insect. So I made a super concentrated solution (2 Tbsp w/32 oz water) and sprayed the ants along the path. To my amazement, the ants died on contact. This stuff worked as good as Raid!

I bought this to get rid of aphids on my squash leaves, and it did exactly what I needed it to do. The aphids are dead, the plants are still thriving, and the pollinators are still visiting, so that checks all the important boxes for me. The key is proper dilution. A little goes a long way: 2.5 oz makes a full gallon, which surprised me because the bottle looked small at first. Once I mixed the first batch, I realized this may last me most of the summer. I also didn’t need to spray heavily. It worked from the first application, and the follow-up sprays were much lighter because many of the aphids were already gone. My only caution is that the leaves can burn if the product is applied too frequently or mixed too strong, so this is not a “more is better” situation. Follow the dilution instructions and use a measured hand. Overall, I’m pleased with the results and would buy it again. Effective, economical, and organic-garden friendly when used correctly.

Perfect

I tried all of the natural agents to kill aphids on my honeysuckle. Soapy water, neem oil etc. Nothing worked. One application of this product and it demolished my entire aphid infestation and they have not returned. I also love that this product is safe for kids and pets and that you can spray it on edible plants.

The reason for 3 stars is because it took a lot to work on a whitefly infested hibiscus 🌺 I used half the bottle and still missed a lot. It gave the hibiscus a sheen that looked like a fake bush. It seemed to holdout for a week, but sadly these pests are a thorn I'm my side where I live. What I do love about it is you can see ladybugs, trying to help also. The product I used before was worse because I found a dying bee and dead ladybug. I felt awful. I took photos in sunlight so it's not easy to see. One rose bush looks burned, but the other seems ok. The old bird of paradise doesn't show improvement. I wish this product lasted longer and wasn't as expensive for a small bottle. I see why they also sell in bulk. One good note, the hibiscus and my mini roses seem happy. I see new blooms starting. 1st photo the sick rose bush now looks burned. 2nd photo my hibiscus 🌺, 3rd the mini rose bush.

I’ve been using this insecticidal soap concentrate to treat a thrips outbreak, and it’s worked well. After mixing it as directed and applying it consistently, I noticed a reduction in the number of pests. I used it with a 360° sprayer, which made it much easier to thoroughly coat the undersides of the leaves where thrips tend to hide.

Really good quality work perfectly in my plants really recommend this item definitely love it 🥰

Great product has helped many times.

Work great

Works

works perfect,but you could use any dishwasher soap 3 ml per litre of water.Unless your not consuming the produce.