How to get rid of insects on basil while leaving the leaves safe to eat?

Question

With reference to this question: Insect infestation on my pepper plant, what do I do?

I have these insects in my indoor "kitchen window sill" basil and they do seem to be chewing it fast enough to slow new growth, which is annoying.

The first suggested solution to getting rid of the insects is to spray them off the plant outside and then submerge the plant for long enough to drown any remaining. If I did this to my basil, wouldn't it drown the basil too? As I understand it, basil doesn't like wet feet.

What is the best solution to getting rid of such insects and still being able to use the leaves in food without hassle? Maybe the water spraying and drowning as suggested in related question is still the best?

ADDITION: The insects I'm dealing with are definitely not white fly, which is why I posted a separate question from this: How do I get rid of white flies on my basil?

UPDATE (9/Aug): I tried the detergent spray twice (per GardeningDirections user) without any apparent effect by the next morning. I then tried drowning the bastards last night (per Mikey) and hopefully it has been more effective, but I still saw two which I squashed this morning. I'll whether I can just kill off the remaining ones by hand. Any other suggestions at this point before I try to figure out what to do to close the question?

UPDATE (24/Aug): I have taken the whole planter container outside and picked off the individual larvae from the underside of the leaves in bright sunlight so none would be missed. Now I am hoping the insects' natural predators will keep them down for long enough for the basil to recover and then I'll bring the plant back inside. I still haven't ruled out trying pyrethrum spray but that's a last resort.

UPDATE (15/Sep): I have used a pyrethrum-based spray to kill perhaps 90% of the bugs while the planter box was outside but it also knocked the basil plants themselves so I did not respray. Now I notice there are still one or two insects left which have laid new larvae all over the undersides of the leaves... and I've also put these creatures through an evolutionary bottleneck so no doubt they'll be tougher to kill than ever! So I officially give up. These basil plants will be transferred to the garden outside, to survive or not. I will get new plants for my indoor planter box.

UPDATE (19/Oct): Transplanted outdoors a month ago the basil is still surviving, even thriving and the insects formerly dominating them are clearly being eaten by proper predators, which hints to me that the best possible way to control the insects would perhaps be to introduce a few friendly predators into the kitchen!

Answer 1

IMHO that answer should work fine in your situation. It's a pretty "standard" procedure for dealing with such pests on potted plants.

Submerging the pot in water for an hour or two, then allowing it to dry out will not have any adverse effects on your Basil plant (or any other "common" potted plant I can think of). It's not like you're keeping the roots submerged for days & days...

Answer 2

If the detergent and drowning solutions don't work, then there is still a pyrethrum spray. Pyrethrum is made from chrysanthemums and is considered relatively benign - eg. It is used for orchids, carnivorous plants, and recommended for food plants. One treatment should be sufficient. Breaks down quickly but probably still best to wait a day or two before harvesting, and wash food before cooking/eating.

Answer 3

Since they are in your kitchen, why not just treat it with something that is handy. This is liquid dish detergent. Put a few drops in a spray bottle with water and give the plants a good shower on the tops and underneath the leaves. If the soap does not work sufficiently then add a bit of hot pepper and see if the bugs don't just disappear. Good luck.

Answer 4

So happy ! I just cured my indoor basil plant which was suffering from white little aphids all over it!! All I did was dunk the stem and leaves of the plant into a solution of Oak leaves and water. I did this once a day for 2 days. ( 99.99% cure after the first dunk !) (I had a bunch of oak leaves which I had previously torn up in to shreds and soaked overnight in a large bowl of water .) Also I changed the plants location to the bathroom (away from 2 other plants it was with ?not sure if relevant??!)

Answer 5

there is a powder called diatomaceous earth that you purchase which has microscopic edges that cut the insects' waxy coat and dehydrates them. It's also edible so don't worry about it getting on your plants. It can also be ingested daily to reduce waste in the colon and gives you glowing skin.

Answer 6

Diatomaceous Earth is harmless to anything with bones. It affects exoskeleton creatures. Birds, fish, dogs, cats, even my dragon, Unaffected. Use it and have so for years. There are two kinds, the one for pool filters is NOT for consumption nor plants/bugs. I agree the intestinal part of the answer is n/a but it is in fact used to rid people of internal pests that usually are contracted in third world country's however one can get them in US through contaminated water/foods. Dunno why the skin is helped but shown to help. Anyway, mites, bedbugs (the most effective overall for their treatment), caterpillars, wasps, all the bugs are destroyed by DME. The only known problem is dust for sensitive people like asthmatics but a simple dust mask and in case of very sensitive eyes, safety glasses. My eyeglass work for that and my little Chihuahua is kept away until dust settles because of her bug (lol) eyes. My lizard is fine in a screened cage and I do not wear the dust mask. No biggy to me as I'm not hyper sensitive to it. I use everywhere inside and out. Just don't use in daylight if you have honey bees so they'll not be murdered by it. Flying insects are not as affected unless they walk in it so because they're not high consumers of non flowering plants/herbs, not so much a concern. Use DME after plants who bloom before producing fruit, blooms have began to produce the fruits. I suffer from many illness and DME had not one contra affect on any of them. Yes, I'm sure. I haven't eggs, slugs, earwigs, etc. It looks like what a catapiller would do but again, I see nada (?). Maybe they feed at night? It's the munching marks that make me feel that way but I'm in and it throughout the day and see no one. It's not all the way to the veins/spine/stems either as someone spoke toward.No browning, yellowing, eggs, etc. Only Basil too. Not mint, carrot, flowers, etc. Mine is in a rolling cart that is called The Urban Gardner where an under water retention system is utilized. It is on wheels with a watering tube leads underneath the soil from which the roots drink as needed. I have organic soil with earthworms and therfore castings are distributed. I keep mosquito dunks pieces in the water trough to prevent their eggs and use DIY Castille Soap/Water/Cayenne for anyone that wants to lay eggs, diatomaceous dusting and something is munching the basil. Hey, cats try crapping in soil and coffee grounds have shooed them so could they like basil. Reaching up from outside the planter, avoiding coffee grounds is feasible due to their height relative to planter. .... Do cats like basil? They like spearmint, this I suffered until coffee grounds there as well! ?! TY