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 in the Taxonomic rank, family Aphididae. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white Eriosomatinae, woolly ...

, scale,

mealybug Mealybugs are insects in the family Pseudococcidae, unarmored scale insects found in moist, warm habitats. Of the more than 2,000 described species, many are considered pests as they feed on plant juices of greenhouse plants, house plants and ...

mites Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods) of two large orders, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However, most recent genetic analyses do not recover the two as eac ...

citrus leafminer ''Phyllocnistis citrella'', the citrus leafminer, is a moth of the family Gracillariidae. It is also known as CLM in agriculture. It was described by Henry Tibbats Stainton from India in 1856. It was first found in Florida, United States, in 1993 ...

and other 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 homemade 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 relating to the uniformity of a substance, process or image. A homogeneous feature is uniform in composition or character (i.e., color, shape, size, weight, height, distribution, texture, language, i ...

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 siphone ...

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 ho ...

''.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...

. 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