[Sideways]

I cant back this up with science or claim it will work for everyone but I wanted to share this, it might help others.

I crushed three garlic cloves and left them to sit in warm water overnight, I then poured the water into a plant sprayer and topped up with tap water. As you would imagine, it smells garlicky....

Last year I lost almost all my broad beans to black-fly, they were covered root to tip. This year I have been spraying my beans with the garlic water and I haven’t seen a single fly. I was concerned at first it might scare away the bees and reduce germination but that has not been the case, the bees came and went without problem. My bean plants have never looked so healthy.

Three years ago I lost my entire carrot crop to root fly. I was new to allotment growing and green behind the ears. Since then I have grown them under cover with great success. This year I have also experimented with a two meter square patch of carrots without cover, once a week I spray the tops and surrounding soil with the garlic water. So far the carrots are doing very well with no sign of the dreaded carrot fly. I will confirm if they make it to harvest without any fly trouble.

I’m sure some of you 'old-timers' are aware of this 'trick' but it could help others. Plus it cheap, natural and doesn’t harm any animals.

[bigben]

I did something similar last year but using a hot chilli sauce - the slugs did not seem to like it, the mice got confused and did not bother digging up my peas because they did not smell of peas. I could not use it on stuff I wanted to eat "directly" as chilli flavoured strawberries etc would not be good. Garlic flavoured carrots should still be ok.

[stompy]

We used to use chillie powder made into a paste to stop the dog chewing the skirting when she was a pup.

I wonder if that made into a dilute wash would stop the pigeons from attacking my brassicas?

[Flump]

I have considered chilli water to deter pigeons!!!

[Elaine G]

I don't think the pigeons can taste chilli.
I feel sure I have read to sprinkle chilli powder on the peanuts in the bird feeder. The birds cannot taste it but the squirrels hate it 

Elaine