The Truth About Neem Oil

Pests can post such a challenge to gardens. Believe me, I know! I’ve been there. And pesticides have there place. I made my own DIY garlic/pepper spray to help with the groundhogs and it’s been super effective! That’s a pesticide, DIY and totally natural, but still a pesticide. Another natural pesticide to practice a lot of caution with is Neem Oil.

Here are some ways to reduce pest pressure, without ever using pesticides:

* Plant a diversity of crops and practice interplanting. This will help with disease as well!
* Hand pick eggs and bugs when populations get out of hand. This is great for Japanese beetles and squash bugs.
* Incorporate fragrant herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and parsley
* Allow the birds, frogs, spiders, predatory insects, and even snakes to have a home in the garden. They will all help you balance out populations.
* Practice patience. Every time I’ve seen aphids in my garden, I’ve waited. And every single time ladybugs have arrived and taken care of the problem for me. It’s amazing!
* If pests are completely out of control, your ecosystem is out of balance. Think about ways you can try to support balance coming back into that space.
* Consider a trap crop for invasive or particularly challenging pests like Japanese beetles and vine borers. We’ve completely resolved our issue with Japanese beetles in the garden using trap crops.

And if you DO decide to apply pesticides, even nature and DIY ones, it’s important to practice the following:

* Follow the directions carefully, including the dilution instructions
* Use minimally and only when absolutely necessary
* Avoid flowers and host plants for butterflies (like milkweed for monarchs and dill for swallowtails)
* Let nature help you first! Ladybugs are excellent control for aphids, birds are helpful when it comes to caterpillars, and parasitic wasps can help take care of hornworms. Sometimes patience is enough for the problem to balance itself out

Happy Gardening!!

[vagotonik]

if you see someone spraying neem in their garden, be glad it ain't a pesticide, and do mind your own business. let people garden the way they want.

[misskiya]

Yeah who has time to sit there and kill hundreds of aphids of of each and every leaf.

[tonymetro]

Ive used neem and the bees dont mind it. I just try not to spray the flowers though

[nordicpride]

Neem oil is perfectly safe for these beneficial bugs IF used appropriately. Meaning proper dilution. Neem oil does not harm them unless you aren't diluting it like your supposed to.

[kooltube]

I heard neem only hurts the bugs that eat the plant? so bees and a few of the beneficial bugs won't be harmed, since they don't eat the plants? so if your plants are getting severely eaten by pests it's a good thing to use. Obviously if you don't have a infestation, then don't use it, simple

[geraldk.l]

Mehh. Nah. I’ll rather spray and kill everything. I’ve had whiteflies like there was prize money involved. No time to be ethical. Everything must die! 😂

[alissa]

I have ladybugs in my grow room and neem doesn't affect them. It only affects the bugs that eat the plant and absorb the neem that way, or if they are completely smothered by the application which seems to happen mainly in smaller soft bodied insects

[midspinz]

False information on neem oil... As someone Who KEEPS/RAISES/BREED INVERTIBRATES I can tell you this is 100% inaccurate, I treat almost every single one of my Invertibrate substrates with neem a week prior to them living in there... I use it in my garden routine and have a healthy jumping spider, orb weaver, and isopod populations as well as lots of native bees in the summer. If you "neem" is targeting bees then you have a neem "blend" most likely and not even plain neem. If I can use it safely and directly around numerous inverts and sterilize their substrate of potential mites as I have reptiles to, if you want useful information that's accurate, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!
My Inverts are for sale to the public in select pet stores okc
Affected bugs include (Whiteflies, mealy bugs, army worms, hornworms, leaf hoppers, bagworms, leafminers, psyllids, fruit flies, loopers, bud worms, beetles (including Japanese beetles), aphids, scales, caterpillars, midges, and mites.
Bees are fine as long as you don't spray them directly
The only downside is caterpillars and there are more moth caterpillars in your plants than butterfly caterpillars almost always hands down, if you grow plants that attract monarch or butterfly caterpillars just don't spray it...
Edit: proper dilution in key as well if making from concentrate

[maybenotsure]

I just mix neem with water and spray into a fan facing the area that's having issues it seems to be fine after a week as if I never even did it.

[anthonyruth]

Do your info the bugs have to consume it

[batzzz]

Neem is great if you can isolate your plants or on house plants.

[viocornel]

Still would use neem. We lack lady bugs here

[channelx]

If it's concentrated you mix it with water. You don't spray during the day normally to prevent sun burning and especially if you have something that flowers. Bees are not out in the late evening and by the morning they should be fine. It's better than using any insecticide and you try picking everything off of peach trees and see how that goes for ya

[AguedaFernandaFalconialv-ilnf]

Thank you 🐞🦋🐝Save the bees and fireflies 🤠

[Rebecca.Robbins]

I bought some been oil for my indoor plants. I only hand pick outside!

[SH-jylc]

Thank you!!! All the other youtubers advertise that stuff right and left without saying how bad jt is and there are safe alternatives. Thank you so much for telling the truth!

[timzstr]

😮😮😮this the type person that promote global warming and saying carbon monoxide is bad for plant

[Heyblomharvest]

Spray at the right time of day so we don’t harm the beneficials. I agree though for the most part

[Beautyexpress]

It’s not going to harm bees. Bees don’t eat the plants.

[-_-]

Identifying insects is so important.

I'm actually having trouble right now, because there's arguments made about Neem oil. Some say if the neem contacts the flowers, then the bees will ingest it, and it will disrupt their reproductive cycle like any other bug. Honestly, I'm not an entomologist, so I really don't know.