Have you tried spraying with soapy water using an environmentally friendly washing up liquid?

Or you can buy an organic garlic barrier spray too,which is safe....and they won't taste of garlic !

there is sprays at the garden centres that do not harm your fruit and veg and it is an organic spray
they are called "Organic Pest Control" this can be used on ornamental flowers , shrubs,tomatoes, peas,beans,cabbage,caulifliower,lettuce,cucumber,fruit trees (apples,pears)and blackcurrants.
The other one is "Provado Bug Killer" good foe use on any grrenhouse plants including tomato,pepper,cucumber,aubergine,courgette,all soft fruits including strawberries,lettuce, leafy brassicae (cabbages etc),herbs indoor and outdoor, including fruit trees.
I think i got these either out of Wye vale or B and Q. They did the trick though
Washing up liquid does not always work

It depends on what is eating your plants.....if it's slugs then beer traps work wonderfully well for me. And soapy water sprayed on as Moon says is great for biting/sucking bugs, as it interferes with their mouthparts. Catapillars can be picked off if you're not squeemish! I use sticky yellow cards in the greenhouse to catch flying bugs, but found their effectivness limited.

Hijuju - I think sometimes peeps think washing up liquid does not work because the effect is not instantaneous - it works by interfering with the aphid's mouthparts and the aphid effectively starves to death, which does take a few days.

Cindi - putting nets over your veggies will protect them from butterflys/moths.

i know , but ive tried the washing up liquid on various plants in my garden and even after a month they are still crawling on them , hence the reason why i ended up buying the organic pest control within a couple of days they are dead and no more trouble

I'd take an inventory of the plants you have and all the bugs biting them, then start looking up the remedies. If you need to use sprays, here are my top favorites for effectiveness and food safety:

Spinosad~ Kills bugs that chew plant parts, such as caterpillars, beetles, sawflies, leafminers, thrips, and fruit flies. It has a brief systemic effect, so it even works on earworms and squash vine borer. It also has a lesser effect on spider mites. Not effective on aphids or any of their kin, such as mealybugs or scale. It is very toxic to bees, so don't spray while the bees are flying. Non-toxic to people, pets, or wildlife.

Neem oil~ This repels bugs, and keeps the juveniles from shedding their skins as they grow. The adults may keep feeding for a while, so it could be considered slow acting on established infestations. Makes an excellent preventative, however. Effective on mites, aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies, young caterpillars, and repels adult leaf miners before they lay eggs. As a bonus, it also prevents and cures leaf fungi, such as powdery mildew, black spot, and rust. Non-toxic to beneficial insects, wildlife, pets, and people--used in toothpaste in its native India!

B.t.~ Baccillus thuringiensis, kind of bacteria that only kills certain kinds of insect larvae when they eat it. B.t. kurstakii kills caterpillars, and it comes in a dust or liquid form. I prefer the liquid, since the dust can drift into wild areas, and kill baby butterflies. B.t. san diego kills beetle larvae, especially bean beetles. With either kind, the target insects may crawl around for a few days, but won't eat anymore. They are slightly less effective on larvae approaching maturity, so it helps if you can apply it before infestation, or at the first signs. Non-toxic to beneficial insects, people, pets, or wildlife, but note hazards to wild butterfly and moth larvae, if misapplied.

Insecticidal soap~ Quickly and cleanly kills any bugs that it is applied to, with no residual action. Dish soap can act the same way, but the real thing is more effective, safer for the plants, and more biodegradable. Frequent sprayings may be necessary, since it's impossible to get all of your targets, and the survivors will replenish themselves within a few days. Usually best as a spot spray in conjunction with more comprehensive pest management plan. Learn to recognize beneficial insects to avoid spraying them by accident. Non-toxic, but be sure to wash the soap off your veggies!

Wettable dusting sulfur~ Probably the most effective thing for spider mites and some fungus diseases, but it will burn leaves if applied while temperatures exceed 85 deg. F. In marginal weather, apply in the evening, and wash off in the early morning. Non- toxic, but best washed of the harvest, like the soap above.

I hope this helps, Cindi!

A word of caution with the organic pest control spray. It works but it also burns the leaves of the plants - at least it did with our alpines. If you are growing outside in the ground I would think using squirt bottles of spray would get rather expensive. Tugbrethil's suggestions are good and sound.

well the sprays worked ok on my plants and the plants did not have any damage

MG, I only get damage when I spray in the heat of the day, or mistakenly mix too strong. If I need to do extensive spraying, I buy concentrates, and use a hose-end sprayer. Fortunately I don't often have to, since I have spent the last three years carefully cultivating the local populations of beneficial insects. I still get some damage, but not the decimation I had when I first went organic several years ago.

This was in the greenhouse with one particular 'organic' bug killer - we later discovered it was basically dilute sulphuric acid!

Lovely stuff companies sometimes sell as "safe", "organic", or "natural"! It sounds like it may have been a variation on wettable sulfur or lime sulfur, both of which turn into sulfuric acid in water, and need corresponding precautions. My poor gardening shirt, after I first used wettable sulfur spray! Still, the precautions were in the instructions, even if I didn't read enough of the fine print. Caveat emptor!

I don't think I've ever sprayed anything in my garden with chemicals.....have I just been lucky?!

We don't spray with chemicals either Sid

oh-WOW! Thank you everyone for all the advise! Since the weather right now is unseasonably :( chilly where I live I think I'm going to go ahead & try the soapy water. 1st & see what happens.

As far as the type of bugs that are eating my plants I have no idea. What ever it is, is eating my broccoli & green beans.

Yes, I usually am squirmy about about bugs, but I will pick em up if i have to. I won't show my kids that grosses me out. LOL I have figured out that if I show them it's not gross then I can get them to pick them up for me and get rid of those nasty bugs.(As long as they are not poisonous) Once I had to pick up a worm & now my daughter does for me & she will even carry them into the garden area for me!

Thank you all, again

Cindi, it is possibly flea beetle on your broccoli. Good luck with the soapy water spray.

Yes, good luck! You remind my of my sister - very scared of spiders - trying to be all brave so her kids don't grow up scared too....don't think it worked tho !! lol

I'm not to bad w/ spiders anymore, as long as they stay in the flowerbed & not on me! It's the gross squirmy crawly things that make my skin crawl. UCKY! I have been having luck w/ my daughter & sometimes my middle child w/ not being scared. sometimes it works & sometimes it doesn't. We are born w/ our own different personalities, as parents & adults we need to help cultivate ( gardening word! lol) that