How to Use Chillies as a Natural Pesticide

Chillipepper, Capiscum Frutescens

After: "Natural Pesticides No. TNP1", Tropical Advisory Service, June 2000, HDRA - the organic organisation

Chillipepper, Capiscum frutescens

The chillipepper, or chilli, originated in South America and is now widespread throughout the tropics and subtropics. The insecticidal properties are highest in the ripe fruit especially in the skin and seed. Chillis act as a stomach poison, antifeedant and repellent to a number of pests.

Note: Care should be taken when handling chillis because they irritate eyes and skin.

Preparations

Chilli spray 1

Crush and grind 4 cups of ripe chilli pods or 5 cups of chilli seeds. Place in a pan with 3 litres of water and boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Take off the heat and add 3 more litres of water. Leave to cool. Then filter through a cloth and keep the liquid. Add soap so that the mixture sticks to the pests and the leaves. Use potash based soft soap that is used for washing dishes and not the modern washing powders that contain caustic soda which will harm plants.

How to use: Use as a spray or sprinkle using twigs or grass tied together to form a whisk, against most insects including caterpillars, aphids, flies, ants and mealy bugs. Apply once a week if there is no rain or two or three times a week if it rains. It is important to use this solution as a preventative measure.

If the concentration of the chilli solution is too strong, it can burn the leaves. So it is important that the right strength is found by testing.

Chilli spray 2

Slice 500 grams of ripe chilli pods and place in a bucket filled with water. Leave to decompose for 4 to 5 days. Sieve the mixture and keep the liquid. Dissolve 30g of soap into this liquid and use as a spray or sprinkle using twigs or grass tied together to form a whisk. Use potash based soft soap that is used for washing dishes and not the modern washing powders that contain caustic soda which will harm plants.

How to use: as for chilli spray 1.

Chillis and garlic spray

Grind 1 garlic bulb and 1 onion. Add 1 tablespoon of powdered chilli peppers. Stir into 2 litres of hot water. Leave the mixture to cool. Strain through a fine cloth and keep the liquid. Add 1 tablespoon of soft soap and stir well.

How to use: Use as a spray for caterpillars in fruit trees.

Chilli, Mexican marigold and onion spray

Chop 4 chilli pods, 4 onions and a handful of Mexican marigold leaves. Soak for 1 day in soapy water. Use potash based soft soap that is used for washing dishes and not the modern washing powders that contain caustic soda which will harm plants. Strain using a sieve and keep the liquid. Add 2 litres of water.

How to use: Spray onto red spider mite infestations.

Chilli dust

Grind as many dried ripe chilli pods as required.

How to use: Sprinkle the powder around the base of plants to repel ants, cutworms, slugs and snails as well as many soil pests.

Other uses of chilli

Interplanting

Chilli can be interplanted with crops to act as a repellent against many insects, fungi and viruses.

Against pests in the house

In Mexico, when a new house is constructed, the basement or the foundation of the house is "painted" with a fuild chilli paste made from the hotest chillies available, to stop pests from entering or nesting in the house.

Other names of Capiscum frutescens

Contacts, Links

HDRA - the organic organisation, Ryton Organic Gardens Coventry, CV8 3LG, UK Tel: +44 (0)24 7630 3517 Fax: +44 (0)24 7663 9229 Email: Website: http://www.hdra.org.uk

Link to Fourthway's poster "How to make a natural pesticide": http://www.fourthway.co.uk/posters/pages/pesticide.html

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