After dedicating hours of work to your garden, it's frustrating when animals feast on the fruit of your labor, literally. In a viral TikTok, Guru Earth Child (@guru_says) shared a spicy gardening trick to keep animals out of your garden and make them think twice about returning for seconds.
The scoop
To repel garden pests, this TikToker sprinkles cayenne pepper powder over her garden. It's a natural pest repellent with a fiery taste and scent that will banish woodland animals and bugs.
@guru_says #melanatedgrowers #backyardgarden #horticulturefortheculture #blackgirlsgardening #pestmanagement #keepsquirrelsout #raisedgardenbeds #diygarden #gardentips #hardenhacks ♬ original sound - Guru Earth Child
The cayenne pepper hack is a temporary solution, so you'll need to re-apply every few weeks or after rainfall.
"If my greens be pre-seasoned when you get them, you know why," Guru Earth Child says in the video. "Because there are going to be no rabbits and no squirrels out here munching and having a feast."
How it's helping
Cayenne pepper is a simple pest repellent, and you may already have it in your kitchen. It'll save your garden from hungry animals and bugs while helping you get the best yield of fruits, vegetables, and plants.
Pesticides are a common tool in agriculture to kill or repel pests, including insects, rodents, weeds, bacteria, and fungi. But they pose an environmental risk when chemicals run off into bodies of water, including rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
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Chemicals don't always stay where they are applied and can drain into and contaminate water supplies. This endangers aquatic life, fish-eating wildlife, and drinking water sources.
Replacing pesticides with cayenne pepper in your home garden can reduce this environmental impact and protect local water supplies.
What everyone's saying
Fellow TikTokers loved this comical gardening hack, sharing their thoughts in the comment section.
"They'll bite it once but never bite it again," one user wrote. "And they'll tell a friend."
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"Keeps the bugs away too! You can also water the plants with water from boiled guajillo peppers too," another TikToker suggested.
Another added, "I love that. Pre-seasoned!"
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