Garlic is considered to be an eco-friendly pesticide, and it can be extremely effective against a lot of pests. If you have a small garden then you probably know how annoying these pests can be, anything from moles to slugs will either eat your plants or simply destroy the entire landscape. If you have tried everything to get rid of pests without any results then you might want to consider using garlic.
Garlic spray is a natural and effective method to deter a wide range of small flying or crawling insects, although it may not be as effective against burrowing pests. This powerful spray has shown notable success in repelling various pests including aphids, mites, caterpillars, armyworms, cutworms, beetles, slugs, mosquitoes, and flies. The strong scent of garlic acts as a deterrent, discouraging these insects from infesting your plants or garden.
Garlic is used in two ways for getting rid of pests, either by making a garlic spray or by simply planting some garlic next to the plants which you want to protect. If you want almost instant results then my recommendation is to go with a garlic spray, if you want to go with a more hands-off approach then plant some garlic around your other plants. One important thing to keep in mind is that garlic doesn’t actually kill the pests, it simply repels them.
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Garlic contains allicin, which gives its unique smell, and the best part about it is that a lot of pests hate the smell of garlic. Once you spray some garlic “juice” on your plants they will start absorbing it, and most pests will not come close to these plants. If you want to make an extremely potent garlic spray against pests then check out my recent article How To Make Garlic Spray ( Extremely Potent ).
What Does Garlic Repel?
The pungent odor of garlic acts as a deterrent to many unwanted visitors in the garden. For instance, it is known to repel common pests like aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies, which can wreak havoc on plants. Additionally, garlic has been found to be effective against larger pests such as rabbits, squirrels, and deer, as they are put off by the strong scent. Planting garlic around vulnerable plants or using garlic-based sprays can help deter these pests and protect your garden.
However, it’s important to note that garlic may not provide 100% protection and should be used in combination with other pest control methods, depending on the specific pest challenges you face in your garden.
Slugs And Snails
One of the most common and most problematic pests in our gardens are slugs and snails. Although they tend to be extremely destructive but they are actually extremely beneficial to the local ecosystem. You could try and get rid of them all, but depending on the area where you live it could be an uphill battle. Instead, you should focus on repelling them with a garlic spray or by planting garlic in your garden.
My suggestion is to use a garlic spray and spray it on your plants and around the plants as well. Slugs and snails hate the smell of garlic, and you will notice that after you have sprayed the first time your plants the slugs and snails will stay clear of them. Use the garlic spray once a week, and especially after it has rained, just make sure to use the spray in the evenings. Caffeine also tends to work well against slugs and snails, for more information check out my recent article How To Make Caffeine Spray For Slugs ( Fast & Easy ).
Aphids
If you have been growing green-leaved vegetables then you have probably come across a couple of aphids. The problem with aphids is that they tend to suck the sap out of the plants, and with high enough numbers they will suck dry the plants. Even just a couple of aphids can seriously stunt the growth of your vegetables or flowers. The garlic spray works extremely well against aphids as well, just spray it on the leaves and the aphids should be gone in a couple of hours.
Planting garlic around the plants which are attacked by aphids doesn’t really work, so you definitely need to use garlic spray for them. When using the garlic spray make sure to spray both the top and the bottom of the leaves for maximum effect.
Caterpillars
Most vegetable gardens will usually start out well, and then in a matter of weeks, they will be almost entirely devoured by caterpillars. Oftentimes beginners will see the butterflies in their gardens and think that they have a healthy and beautiful garden. The truth is that butterflies can be a sign that your garden is full of caterpillars eating away your leafy vegetables. The good news is that the garlic spray does work against caterpillars, but you will need to use the garlic spray for them.
Planting some garlic between your vegetables will also repel the caterpillars, but it will take some time until they grow into an effective caterpillar repellent. My suggestion is to use both methods, especially if you have a large garden. If you are growing plants from seeds then you might want to read my recent article 25 Cent Seed Packets ( Are They Any Good? ).
Moles
I had some serious mole infestations in the past, and what I noticed is that they do stay away from my garlic patches. In order for the garlic to be effective against moles, you will have to take several steps, it is not as simple as spraying the ground and hoping that the moles will not come back. My suggestion is to place garlic cloves in every single mole hole and then spray these areas with garlic spray.
The good news is that moles will stay away from these areas, the bad news is that they might dig a hole in some other part of your garden, so you will actually play whack a mole for some time with them. In addition to this, you should also plant some garlic in the areas where there is a high concentration of mole mounds, these will also repel the moles.
Mosquitos
Most insects hate the smell of allicin which is in the garlic, and mosquitos actually hate the smell of it. One of my friends is a tour guide in Alaska, and he tends to do is eat a couple of cloves of garlic per day before he goes off into the wilderness, this way the mosquitos do not bother him. If you have an area around your house where you like to sit and watch the sunset but the mosquitos are bothering you then use garlic spray.
Just spray around the area where you want to repel the mosquitos, don’t worry the smell of garlic will go away in a matter of minutes, but the mosquitos will still smell it for days or weeks. If you want to know what are the methods of getting rid of slugs and snails then check out my recent article How To Get Rid Of Slugs And Snails ( Top 19 Methods ).
Flies
There are thousands of different types of flies across the world, some of them hate the smell of garlic while others do not seem to be bothered by it. If you have a lot of flies in your area and you want to repel them then my suggestion is to use a garlic spray and use it in the areas where you want to get rid of them. The garlic spray against flies sometimes works extremely well, but it mostly depends on what kind of flies you have in your area, so if everything else failed then give the garlic spray a try.
Insects
For the most part, most insects hate the smell of garlic, so if you have a problem with a kind of insect that is not listed here then try the garlic spray out. In areas where the humidity is fairly high or the number of insects is also high the garlic spray might not work at all.
Key Takeaways
- Garlic is known for its repelling properties against a variety of insects and pests. It can deter common garden pests such as aphids, mosquitoes, moths, and spider mites, helping to protect your plants from damage.
- Garlic has been found to have nematode-repelling properties. Nematodes are microscopic worms that can cause damage to plant roots. Planting garlic around susceptible plants or using garlic extracts can help deter nematodes and reduce their impact on your garden.
- While not as effective as against insects and pests, garlic has been reported to have mild repelling effects on certain mammals. This includes animals like rabbits, deer, and squirrels, which may be deterred by the strong odor of garlic when planted or used as a spray.
