IF you’re fed up with pests crawling all over your plants, have no fear – you’ve come to the right place.
There’s nothing worse than spending money on beautiful plants and flowers, spending years growing them, only for rats, cats and mice to jump all over them.
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And especially if you don’t want to use expensive store-bought chemicals, we’ve got you covered.
Thanks to gardening experts, there’s a simple DIY trick that will repel pests from your garden — and stop them from damaging your plants.
The gardening experts at Fantastic Services I believed in pepper spray as a natural and effective method.
They said: “It turns out that pepper spray is effective against all types of pests, even those that harm plants.
“It deters rats, mice and stray cats and is also effective against birds.”
Depending on the concentration of capsicum (chilli pepper) in the formula, gardeners can target specific pests or provide a general deterrent to all intruders.
To make this spray, gardeners will need four ingredients, many of which you may already have at home – one tablespoon of black pepper, one tablespoon of chili powder, two to three chili peppers, and two tablespoons of vegetable . oil.
To make this mixture, you must start by placing the chili pepper in the blender, along with the vegetable oil and seasonings.
You should puree the ingredients for a few seconds and then store the puree for at least 12 hours in the refrigerator.
According to experts, this will “increase the effectiveness” and potency of capsaicin.
After that, you can transfer the puree to a larger container and add hot water. Stir the mixture well and be careful with this step as it can irritate your eyes, mouth and nose.
Then pass the mixture through a sieve or cloth.
Common Garden Pests
Common garden pests don’t need to be a cause for alarm. If you can identify them, you can work to get rid of them and prevent them from returning.
Aphids (green fly, black fly)
Aphids are extremely common and can affect plant growth. They have tiny, soft, pear-shaped bodies and are usually green or black. You may spot them clustered on the stems of tender shoots – look under the leaves in particular – or you may find a sticky substance on your plants that reveals the aphids have been there sucking the sap.
White fly
These small, white-winged insects are related to aphids, only 1 or 2 mm long, and look very similar to white moths as adults. They can be found on the underside of the leaves, preferring younger, fresher leaves. They fly away in groups when you disturb them. Its life cycle lasts just three weeks, which means an infestation can occur very quickly.
Slugs
An unmissable body with a soft appearance, as well as small sensory tentacles on the head. Slugs move on a muscular foot. Its scale ranges from surprisingly small to terrifyingly large; Limax cinereoniger species can comfortably grow beyond 20 cm in length.
Cabbage moth caterpillar
Cabbage moth caterpillars happily enter the hearts of vegetables. The caterpillars are distinguished by shades of yellow or brownish green, without hair.
Cochineal
Scale insects are small, oval-shaped insects that have a white, powdery wax coating. There are several different species, many of which have what appear to be legs sticking out of their sides and back. In the initial phase of life, it is perfectly possible to confuse them with fungi and not even recognize them as insects.
When it comes to applying this homemade pepper spray to plants, gardeners should use it at night when the sun is not as strong.
It is advised that gardeners wear gloves and take care when spraying plants.
Tips for Keeping Pests in Your Garden
- Plant companion plants, such as peppermint, to repel mice.
- Place Garden Netting Pest Barrierover your flower beds.
- Fill open containers with beer and place in the soil to repel slugs.
- Spray plants with Neem Oilto repel ants, flies and spiders.
- Sprinkle your flowerbeds with diatomaceous earth.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of dish soap, 10 drops of peppermint oil and 4 cups of water and spray on flower beds.
- Place eggshells around plants to protect them from slugs and snails.
The DIY spray can be reapplied once or twice a week.
Professionals noted that “the most important thing” with this trick is to avoid using pepper spray on fruit-bearing or flowering plants, as capsaicin is “toxic” to bees and other pollinators.
If you want to try this trick, you can buy chilli powder at Tesco for just £1.
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