White oil is an insecticide spray used for controlling a wide range of insect pests in the garden. The spray works by blocking the breathing pores of insects, causing suffocation and death. It is effective in the control of

aphids Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...

, scale,

mealybug Mealybugs are insects in the family (biology), family Pseudococcidae, unarmored scale insects found in moist, warm habitats. Many species are considered pest (animal), pests as they feed on plant juices of greenhouse plants, house plants and sub ...

, mites, citrus leaf miner, and smooth skinned caterpillars. "White oil" is also an alternative name for

mineral oil Mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of higher alkanes from a mineral source, particularly a distillate of petroleum, as distinct from usually edible vegetable oils. The name 'mineral oil' by itself is imprecise, ...

Commercial organic pesticide

White oil is sold commercially as a

petroleum oil Mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of higher alkanes from a mineral source, particularly a distillate of petroleum, as distinct from usually edible vegetable oils. The name 'mineral oil' by itself is imprecise, ...

-based organic pesticide, in both a concentrate, and ready-to-use spray bottle or can. The term "horticultural oil" may be used to differentiate this petroleum oil-based product from home made products using vegetable oil.

DIY recipe

The quantities vary depending on the source, but a common concentrate typical mixture is 4 parts of vegetable oil (a non-mineral oil) to one part of liquid dish-washing soap/detergent (for washing by hand). It may be blended in a mixer or shaken by hand in a jar or bottle until

homogeneous Homogeneity and heterogeneity are concepts often used in the sciences and statistics relating to the uniformity of a substance or organism. A material or image that is homogeneous is uniform in composition or character (i.e. color, shape, siz ...

to be stored.

Use

Concentrates must be diluted before use at a ratio of 10–20 ml concentrate per litre of water and placed in a

spray bottle A spray bottle is a bottle that can squirt, spray or mist fluids. History While spray bottles existed long before the middle of the 20th century, they used a rubber bulb which was squeezed to produce the spray; the quickly-moving air siphoned ...

sprayer A sprayer is a device used to spray a liquid, where sprayers are commonly used for projection of water, weed killers, crop performance materials, pest maintenance chemicals, as well as manufacturing and production line ingredients. In agricult ...

. As with ready-to-use spray bottles or cans, the mixture is applied to all surfaces of a plant's leaves and stems. All sources note that white oil should not be applied when temperatures above 25–30°C are expected, as this may cause the plant to "burn".

References

{{Reflist *Smythe, Rob
"Canola White Oil - 'Oils ain't Oils Soll!'"
''Bromeliad Encyclopedia'', Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies. Retrieved April 28, 2017. *Coleby-Williams, Jerry (June 21, 2008)

''

Gardening Australia ''Gardening Australia'' is an Australian lifestyle television program which suggests and promotes organic and environmentally friendly ways of gardening. It is created by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and airs on ABC TV, in an hour- ...

''.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

. Retrieved January 28, 2013. *Thomson, Sophie (2014)
"Fact Sheet: How To Manage Citrus Trees"
''Gardening Australia''. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
"Natural Garden Pest Control: White oil For Pest Control"
Private Exterminator. November 8, 2015. Insecticides Organic gardening