The Wonders of Garlic

And you thought that only Dracula was repelled by garlic!  Well, think again.  Garlic is a member of the onion genus Allium.  It is a close relative to the onion, shallot, leek and chive but does so much more than repel Dracula.  Garlic produces a natural sulfur which repels a virtual “who’s who” of insect and animal pests.  Liquid garlic is tough on ticks by suffocating them and killing their eggs.  It also suffocates the mosquito larvae that develop in standing water.  Likewise, aphids, beetles and a host of other creepy crawly things.  Spray liquid garlic liberally over standing water, thick undergrowth, lawn areas, flower beds and directly on plants and vegetables. 

But there is a miraculous beauty to garlic liquid because it is systemically absorbed by plants but doesn’t affect the taste of the fruit or vegetables.  It has been proven to repel birds away from ripening fruit in a harmless non-toxic way. 

Going a step further, most snake repellents use garlic as an ingredient because snakes don’t like the sulfonic acid that garlic produces.  Use a little rock salt around the perimeter ( tough on the snakes belly)along with some garlic spray and you’ve created a great snake barrier.

Maybe you’re dealing with something a little larger such as deer.  According to the University of California integrated pest management program, deer hate the fragrance of garlic and really hate the taste too.  If you’re struggling to save those hostas again this year, look no further for an all natural way to repel those browsing pests that can tear through your garden in an afternoon!

It seems that most all animals with a more sensitive sense of smell than us mere humans can’t stand the strong odor of garlic.  Garlic spray is one way of deterring cats from your garden and mice from your house.   Moles, voles, rats and bats…no one likes garlic.  And that’s the reason we love garlic.  It’s the safe, non-lethal way to deal with most all flying, crawling and difficult pests.