What kind of soap is formulated to be used as an insecticide and requires thorough coverage of infested plants?

Insecticidal soaps are specifically designed to target soft-bodied insects such as aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies. These soaps work by suffocating the insects upon contact and disrupting their cell membranes, which leads to their death. For insecticidal soaps to be effective, it's crucial to achieve thorough coverage of the infested plants, as the solution must directly contact the pests for it to be lethal.

Using insecticidal soaps requires an understanding of how they interact with the pests and the plants. Unlike typical household soaps, insecticidal soaps are made from natural plant oils and fats, which makes them both effective and relatively safe for use around beneficial insects when applied according to manufacturer's recommendations.

In contrast, horticultural oils, while also used for pest control, operate through different mechanisms, such as suffocation or disrupting pest feeding, and their application requirements may differ from those of insecticidal soaps. Hydraulic sprayers are tools rather than products, and traditional insecticides often use synthetic chemicals that may not require the same level of coverage as insecticidal soaps. Therefore, the effectiveness of insecticidal soaps hinges on the thoroughness of their application on the infested areas.