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Home aphid cure

DabberDog

DabberDog

New member
I'm real sorry. This isn't about dope. Some y'all might know the backstory. The issue is related.
It's about brewing up a home aphid spray using dish detergent and oil. How do I emulsify the solution so the oil and water don't separate? Do I just keep shaking the bottle?
 
Try rubbing alcohol, that's what I mix with lost coast plant therapy, it's mostly essential oils
 
For aphid control I would suggest staying away from sprays and dusting with diatomaceous earth instead. It's cheap and readily available at any place that sells plants. I order mine through Amazon and it usually arrives in a day or two.
 
I have plenty of that 200-proof, lab grade ethanol from my RSO run. Gotta be as good as 91% RA. Might have some DE left over, too. If the detergent/oil doesn't work, I'll go for one of those.
Here's a couple things. They only attack the youngest leaves. Their MO is to fold the leaf over and make a pouch thing where they get their groove on. After two runs of neem, they seem pretty well cocooned up.
Here's a funny thing. Three Ficus on my balcony. Right got thrown because it gave me the creeps. Left got trimmed down to a stump and is growing back. This is the one I'm working with. The plant in the middle of the infected ones is unaffected. Funny, right?
 
I might have figured out a little something-something.
Today when I checked the bottle of solution I mixed up yesterday there was a thin layer of oil bubbles floating on the surface and the water was clear milky. It only took a little agitation to get the solution to homogenize.
Liquid dish detergent is made to break down greases and oils and the like. I think that's what's going on.
 
Shake, shake, shake. The soap is an emulsifier which will allow the oil and water to mix. Just need the correct amount of soap for the oil and water volume. That is what mayonnaise is, oil, water, and emulsifier (egg yolk). I don't think you want to make mayonnaise, just use a small amount of soap.
 
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