White oil is a homemade 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, scale, mealybug, mites, citrus leaf miner and smooth skinned caterpillars.
"White oil" is also an alternative name for mineral oil.
Recipe
The quantities vary depending on the source, but a typical mixture is 4 parts of vegetable oil (a non-mineral oil) to one part of dish-washing detergent (for washing by hand). It maybe blended in a mixer until homogeneous to be stored. Diluting 1:50 with water may be used for spraying leaves from above and below.
References
White oil Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA