Before there were bug sprays with labels longer than your grocery list, there was Grandma. And somehow, her roses looked perfect, her lettuce didn’t have holes, and not a single aphid dared mess with her beans. How? No one really asked. We were too busy swatting mosquitoes and pretending we weren’t itchy.
Turns out, she had a toolkit. It didn’t come in a bottle. It came in the form of ash, soap, beer, and a very suspicious amount of garlic. And the craziest part? A lot of it still works today—better than half the stuff on the store shelves.
Here’s a list of ten forgotten pest control tricks she probably used without bragging once. (You, on the other hand, should absolutely brag.)
🔥 Key Takeaways
- 🧄 Grandma used garlic, molasses, and even rhubarb poison — and it still works.
- 🐌 Old-school pest tricks aren’t instant, but they’re cheap and surprisingly clever.
- 🧦 Wormwood in an old sock? Way more effective than it sounds.
- 🔥 Sulfur smoke bombs are real and terrifyingly effective — just don’t breathe it in.
- 🌿 Most of these remedies also feed your soil, not just kill bugs.
Table of Contents
1. Molasses Water for Soil-Dwelling Bugs
This one sounds like something you’d pour on pancakes, not into your garden. But Grandma knew that a little molasses could do a lot more than sweeten porridge. She used it to kill off root maggots, fungus gnats, and other little lurkers that chew from below the soil line where sprays can’t reach.
The trick? Mix about 1 tablespoon of blackstrap molasses into a quart of water and pour it right into the soil, especially around brassicas like cabbage, turnips, and radishes. The sugars feed beneficial microbes, but they also create a hostile, sticky environment for certain soil pests. Think of it as biological sabotage — slow, sweet, and deadly.
🕒 When to use it: Early in the growing season, especially if you’ve had root maggot problems before. It’s also a gentle booster for tired soil thanks to its trace minerals.
🚫 When not to use it: Avoid in soggy soil or during rainy spells. The last thing you want is to create a soupy, anaerobic mess that suffocates roots instead of helping them.
✅ Effectiveness: 7/10. Not an instant miracle, but it works over time. Use it weekly for a few weeks and you’ll notice fewer stunted seedlings and less root damage. Bonus: your compost pile might love a little splash too.
2. Tansy Planted as Insect Repellent
Tansy looks like a polite little daisy trying to get invited to the herb garden, but it’s actually a tiny green bouncer. Old-timers swore by planting tansy near doorways, chicken coops, and garden beds to keep flies, ants, moths, and even squash bugs at bay. No sprays, no spritzing — just plant it and let it stink the bugs away.
The leaves give off a sharp, bitter smell that’s downright offensive to many insects. It doesn’t kill them, it just tells them to go somewhere else. Grandma might’ve tucked sprigs into her apron or rubbed crushed leaves on her sleeves before heading out to weed.
🕒 When to use it: Plant tansy near cabbage, beans, and cucumbers, or anywhere you’ve had fly or beetle problems. It also makes a great perimeter plant near compost bins or outhouses. Yes, outhouses. Those were a thing.
🚫 When not to use it: Avoid planting it where pets or small children roam — the plant is mildly toxic if eaten. Also, don’t let it go wild. Tansy spreads fast and doesn’t like being told what to do.
✅ Effectiveness: 6/10. It won’t wipe out an infestation, but it quietly deters a lot of common pests. Think of it as bug bodyguard meets garden décor.
3. Boiled Rhubarb Leaf Spray
Rhubarb leaves are toxic. Grandma knew this. Which is exactly why she turned them into a pest control potion strong enough to make aphids rethink their life choices. Boiling the leaves releases oxalic acid, which doesn’t hurt the plants you spray it on, but it does mess with the bugs chewing on them.
To make it, toss a few handfuls of chopped rhubarb leaves into a pot, add water, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Let it cool, strain it, then pour into a spray bottle. Spray onto leaves and stems where aphids, whiteflies, or caterpillars are setting up shop. You’ll look slightly unhinged doing this. That’s part of the charm.
🕒 When to use it: During aphid season or when caterpillars are going after your leafy greens. Spray in the early morning or late evening so the sun doesn’t scorch treated leaves.
🚫 When not to use it: Don’t use around kids, pets, or ponds — this is not the spray for your butterfly garden. Also skip it in heavy rain, unless you enjoy doing things twice.
✅ Effectiveness: 8/10. Hits hard, especially on soft-bodied bugs. A little bit goes a long way, and it makes you feel like you’re casting a garden spell.
4. Burning Sulfur Rags to Fumigate the Greenhouse
If your grandma had a greenhouse, chances are she also had a rag soaked in sulfur and zero regard for OSHA standards. Before fancy foggers and climate-controlled everything, people used to literally smoke bugs out. Like, with fire. A sulfur rag was hung in a metal container, lit on fire, and left to slowly release sulfur fumes — wiping out whiteflies, aphids, mites, and mildew in one dramatic cloud of bug death.
This wasn’t a daily thing. It was more of a seasonal ritual. You’d clean the greenhouse, close it up tight, burn the rag, and let the fumes do their thing overnight. The next day? Ventilate like your life depended on it — because it sort of did.
🕒 When to use it: At the end of the growing season or before starting new seedlings. Do it on a dry, still day when you can open up all the vents the next morning without losing your roof.
🚫 When not to use it: Never do this while plants are inside — it’s a total kill zone. Skip it if your greenhouse is plastic or poorly sealed, or if your neighbors already think you’re weird.
✅ Effectiveness: 9/10. Absolutely brutal to pests. One of the most thorough methods for clearing out infestations. Just don’t inhale the nostalgia.
5. Charcoal Ash Around Plant Bases
Before “soil amendment” became a buzzword, there was a tin bucket of fireplace ash sitting outside the back door. And if the ash was from lump charcoal — not those chemical-soaked briquettes — Grandma would use it like powdered pest kryptonite. Just a light ring around the base of vulnerable plants, and suddenly the slugs and snails weren’t feeling so brave anymore.
The fine texture of the ash dries out soft-bodied pests, while the high pH messes with their little slime trails. Plus, it adds potassium to the soil. Double win. But it has to be the right kind of ash — clean, untreated, and completely cooled.
🕒 When to use it: Around lettuces, strawberries, or anything slugs find irresistible. Best used after a rain, when pests are out in full force and the soil isn’t too dry.
🚫 When not to use it: Don’t use if your soil is already alkaline, or if you’ve got acid-loving plants like blueberries nearby. Also, don’t overdo it — ash is strong stuff and your soil isn’t a barbecue pit.
✅ Effectiveness: 7/10. It won’t solve a full-blown invasion, but it’s a solid line of defense and way cheaper than buying bait every spring.
6. Sprinkling Cornmeal for Ant Control
Ants love cornmeal. What they don’t love is what happens after they eat it. Grandma didn’t need to understand their digestive systems — she just knew that sprinkling a bit near ant trails or around mounds made them disappear after a few days. Word on the street is they eat it, can’t digest it properly, and boom — colony trouble.
This trick spread like gossip at a church bake sale. Cheap, quiet, and strangely satisfying. Bonus: it’s harmless to pets and humans. Worst case? You accidentally feed a few squirrels. Best case? The ants pack up and leave town.
🕒 When to use it: When you see active ant trails, especially near raised beds or container gardens. Works best during dry weather when the cornmeal stays intact.
🚫 When not to use it: Skip it if it’s going to rain — soggy cornmeal just becomes weird garden mush. Also not ideal for huge outdoor colonies with multiple queens. This is more sneak attack than scorched earth.
✅ Effectiveness: 6/10. Mixed reviews, but when it works, it really works. Worth trying before pulling out the big chemical guns.
7. Wormwood Sachets in Storage Sheds
If your grandma had a shed, a pantry, or a root cellar, she probably had little cloth bags tucked into corners that smelled like something between medicine and trouble. That’s wormwood. And it wasn’t just there for fun — it was a bug deterrent powerhouse. Moths, fleas, flies, and even mice weren’t too fond of its bitter scent.
She’d dry wormwood sprigs, stuff them in cheesecloth or old socks, tie them off, and stash them near seed bags, blankets, or onions in storage. In some cases, she’d crumble it straight onto shelves. No label, no warning — just wormwood doing its thing like a bitter little bodyguard.
🕒 When to use it: In dry sheds, garages, or anywhere you store food, tools, or garden gear that bugs and rodents love to invade. Replace the sachets every couple months for best results.
🚫 When not to use it: Don’t use near food meant for human consumption — wormwood is toxic if ingested. Also, avoid placing it near pets or letting curious hands get into it.
✅ Effectiveness: 7/10. Subtle but solid. Not a bug-killer, but a solid “keep out” sign that pests seem to respect. Plus, it smells strangely powerful in a medieval herb shop kind of way.
8. Garlic-Infused Oil for Mites
Garlic wasn’t just for stews and vampire prevention. Grandma used it to stop mites, aphids, and other sap-sucking freeloaders from wrecking her plants. Her version of pest control smelled like salad dressing and required zero special equipment — just time, patience, and a deep respect for garlic’s ability to offend.
She’d crush a handful of garlic cloves, soak them in oil (usually something cheap like vegetable oil), and let it sit for a day or two. Then she’d strain it, mix it with water and a dash of mild soap, and spray it on the undersides of leaves — where bugs like to party and lay eggs in secret.
🕒 When to use it: At the first sign of spider mites or aphids, especially on houseplants, tomatoes, and beans. Best applied in the early morning or evening.
🚫 When not to use it: Avoid spraying in the heat of the day or on sensitive plants like ferns — it can clog pores and cause leaf burn. Don’t use it just before a rain, or you’ll waste your homemade vampire juice.
✅ Effectiveness: 8/10. Slow but thorough. It suffocates soft-bodied pests and deters reinfestation. Smells like you’re trying to cook the aphids, which honestly isn’t far off.
9. Clay Dusting on Cabbage Leaves
Grandma didn’t need a pest control aisle. She had a sack of powdered clay. Before kaolin clay was a boutique product with a marketing team, it was just “that white stuff” she dusted over her cabbages. And it worked. Cabbage worms, flea beetles, and even some leafhoppers hated crawling over the fine powder. It messed with their feet, dried them out, and generally made leaf-chewing less fun.
She’d sprinkle it on with a flour sifter or an old sock, usually after a dew so it’d stick. The leaves looked a bit ghostly afterward, but hey — better dusty than full of holes. This trick was cheap, safe, and totally forgotten once bug sprays came in bright yellow bottles.
🕒 When to use it: Right as young cabbage, kale, or broccoli plants go into the ground. Reapply after rain or watering for continued coverage. Works best on dry, windless days.
🚫 When not to use it: Skip it if your plants are wet or already coated with other sprays — it’ll clump and slide off. Also not great if you’re expecting heavy rain in the next 24 hours.
✅ Effectiveness: 7/10. Annoys the heck out of cabbage worms and their pals. Doesn’t kill on contact, but it ruins their party fast. Non-toxic and forgotten — just the way Grandma liked it.
10. Salt Line at the Garden Edge for Crawlers
Before garden centers sold ten different slug pellets with names like “Snail-Mageddon,” Grandma just used table salt. Not to dump it everywhere — that would’ve killed her plants — but to create a thin line of misery around raised beds, porches, or containers. The goal? Keep slugs, snails, and some creepy crawlies from crossing the border.
The salt acts like a barrier. If something slimy tries to cross it, they shrivel up faster than last week’s lettuce. Simple, dramatic, and disturbingly effective. She’d apply it in a ring — carefully, sparingly — and refresh it only after heavy rain or irrigation. Not elegant, but brutally efficient.
🕒 When to use it: Around containers, steps, or isolated raised beds where you need a temporary crawler barrier. Ideal during peak slug season or after heavy rain brings them out to party.
🚫 When not to use it: Don’t apply salt directly on soil or near plant roots — it’ll ruin the soil fast. Avoid using on lawns or anywhere runoff might spread the salt to growing areas.
✅ Effectiveness: 8/10. Surprisingly brutal. Not a long-term fix, but a fast-acting defense line for small areas. Also oddly satisfying to watch in action, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Old Tricks Still Work
I’ll be honest — I didn’t expect some of these to actually work. But they do. Maybe not with the instant “zap” of modern sprays, but they get the job done. Slowly. Quietly. Just like Grandma used to. And honestly? There’s something satisfying about that.
Half the time, these tricks cost next to nothing. The other half, they make you feel like you know something the bugs (and your neighbors) don’t. That’s the beauty of old-school gardening: no apps, no plastic bottles, just a few weird ingredients and a little faith in the process.
Try one or two. See what happens. Worst case, your garden smells like garlic and beer. Best case? You win the war without lifting a single chemical finger. And Grandma? She’d be proud.

Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.