habanero/chewing tobacco bug juice

Question

Hi, Jim here in St. Pete, Florida. I am trying to raise several varieties of common vegetables here and am trying to get away from Sevin, etc. On the second hand recommendations of an old timer, I wanted to try to go this route. I got creative with the recipe just a bit because his was vague. I mixed a half pound of habanero peppers with a pouch of Red Man chewing tobacco and put in enough water to let it mix and blended it up. I also added two ounces of dried red pepper. I have it all in a bucket with about two and a half gallons of water. My questions: 1) Should I add more water or more peppers, or does it sound about right? 2) How long do I let it steep, and how long is the shelf life? I stuck the tip of my finger in it this morning and it was very hot. I could taste that tobacco too. Vile. Anyway, my last question: Should I also add some mild detergent to the brew? Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Answer 1

The mixture sounds ok and it should be good for the summer. Adding a little bleach free dish soap or murphy’s oil will help the mixture stick better to the harmful pests.