I’m a gardener – stop using cayenne pepper to ward off pests, do my cheap solution instead

A GARDENER has warned against using cayenne pepper to ward off pests from destroying your plants and flowers.

Instead, his way is much safer and cheaper.

Responding to a woman who was pouring cayenne pepper on her plants to ward off squirrels, gardener Sean Patchett begged people to “not do this.”

“I think a lot of people have heard the myth that using cayenne pepper will repel squirrels,” he began in his TikTok video.

“Well, this may piss them off temporarily but you will not keep them away forever.

“In fact, it’s been noted that squirrels will adapt their taste buds and eat it anyway or what’s worse is if they get that cayenne pepper in their eye and their eye gets inflamed and they keep scratching it and their hands are covered in cayenne pepper so they make it worse.

“They’ll either go blind or scratch their eyes out and die,” he warned.

Instead, he suggested putting up physical barriers around your garden to ward off pests and animals from eating your garden.

“That can be some sort of fence or netting or whatever,” he said.

“Or number two, you need to repel them with pungent fragrances, not their taste buds.”

He then explained that he will apply hen manure to the soil.

“Chicken poop is a natural fertilizer, it’s good for your plants and soil, and apparently, it pisses off squirrels!”

But before using hen manure, you must make sure it’s been composted.

You can actually purchase it in pellet form for a safer option.

And if bugs are your issue, you might want to spread your leftovers on your soil.

Erin C, who goes by Basil and Booze on social media, shared her five-second hack to get rid of small bugs from her garden.

All you need to do is sprinkle orange peels on the ground to ward off aphids, which are small sap-sucking insects that love to hang out in gardens.

Although they are not harmful to humans, they will suck the nutrients out of plants, making them sick.

You can also make a spray out of the orange peels and sprinkle it on your plants, according to Homes & Gardens.

“Spray this every three to four days to get rid of pests like slugs, aphids, ants, whiteflies, and fruit flies – and to keep them away,” the second expert instructed.

This option also works equally well indoors, so you can protect your plants inside too.