Homemade bug killer recipe

[jocali]

Does anyone have a homemade recipe for killing garden bugs. They are eating the leaves on my flowers especially my beautiful hydrangeas. The one we saw was a little green bug that almost looks like a praying mantis but I know its not them (wouldn't harm them anyway).
We purchased bug spray that worked for awhile but cannont keep buying it as it is expensive.
I treasure my garden but now need help
Any information that would be helpful would be appreciated
Thank you and have a ncie day
:p :confused:

[janelle]

I put Systemic pesticide around my plants to keep the bugs from eating the buds. I use it on my geranimums. They can get little green like worms that eat the buds. Only put it on plants that are ornamental and not on ones you will eat. It gets into the plant and when the bugs eat the plant it kills them. Ask at your garden center.

[terizona]

The only homemade one I've tried is mix a tablespoon or two of dishwashing liquid (something more gentle like Dawn) into a gallon of water, then fill a spray bottle and spray on the leaves to coat the bugs already infested. This works mostly on soft-bodied insects like aphids, catterpillars. (Not like beetles). It won't keep new bugs away, so you need to repeat often to get the ones already on the plants. I don't know about food plants, I've only used it on ornamentals.

[earthmama]

Soak some chewing tobacco in a couple of cups of water and add it to the dish soap solution mentioned above...then spray away...nicotine is an insecticide.