<p>The growing need for accessible alternatives to synthetic insecticides has renewed interest in farmer-made botanical formulations for pest management. This study evaluated the efficacy of selected homemade botanical insecticides against diamondback moth (<i>Plutella xylostella</i>) and cabbage aphid (<i>Brevicoryne brassicae</i>) on cabbage (<i>Brassica oleracea</i> var. <i>capitata</i>) and kale (<i>B. oleracea</i> var. <i>acephala</i>) under laboratory and semi-field conditions. Three homemade formulations were assessed: a one-day-old multi-plant extract with neem (<i>Azadirachta indica</i>; PE + N), a one-day-old extract without neem (PE), and a fourteen-day-old, fermented extract without neem (PE14). These were compared with three commercial botanical products. In replicated leaf- and plant-based bioassays, neem-based treatments (PE + N and Nimbecidine) consistently caused higher pest mortality than non-neem formulations. Both treatments achieved over 50% mortality of <i>P. xylostella</i> and <i>B. brassicae</i> at higher concentrations, with shorter median lethal times (LT₅₀) and lower median lethal concentrations (LC₅₀). Formulations without neem remained below the 50% mortality threshold under most conditions. Efficacy was lower under semi-field conditions than in laboratory assays, reflecting environmental influences on botanical stability. These findings demonstrate that neem-based homemade botanicals derived from farmer practices can provide pest suppression comparable to commercial biopesticides under controlled and semi-field conditions. While variability in efficacy and lack of formulation standardization remain challenges, such botanicals represent a promising complementary option within integrated pest management strategies for smallholder farming systems.</p>