Pests are a common nuisance that impacts the overall health of your garden. From causing plant injury to even damaging the leaves, stems, and roots, many pests pose a threat to the favourite part of your home.

However, experts from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) have suggested an easy way to get rid of pests using one kitchen staple item that’s available in all UK households: vegetable oil. The experts believe that using vegetable oil can limit pests' entry into the garden. Classed as surfactants, it acts by smothering rather than poisoning pests.

They added: “They may also kill non-target species such as beneficial insects.”

However, experts caution against applying oil directly to leaves, as it can block sunlight and water absorption, potentially harming the plant. Instead, diluting it with water and applying it in small amounts can be an effective way to protect plants from soft-bodied pests like scale insects and their eggs.

A research conducted by Wageningen University in the Netherlands also found that a sticky liquid made from vegetable oil could be sprayed onto plants to catch small pests such as thrips without affecting larger insects such as bees.

The sticky trap was prepared using vegetable oil along with some droplets of water. Thomas Kodger at Wageningen University said: "It’s literally oil, air, a little bit of heat and patience."

Spray-on traps function similarly to sticky papers and glue traps, capturing tiny pests by physically trapping them. However, they offer a key advantage—they are applied directly to plants, ensuring that larger insects, including essential pollinators like bees and hoverflies, remain unaffected.

He added: "One of the reasons larger [sticky] traps are not used in greenhouses today is because they devastate pollinators and other beneficial insects."