The 1 kitchen spice that will get rid of pests - gardeners warned to be careful

There are many non-chemical products that can use to get rid of pests in their gardens, and with spring coming into full swing, with plants and , there's no doubt that pests will be more drawn to outdoor spaces in your home. However, protecting your garden doesn't have to be tricky. With this one common household spice, you can easily get rid of insects and keep animals away from your precious plants.

Sprinking near the base of your plants can go a long way. The trick revealed on explained that common garden pests dislike the overwhelming sense of the spice. Additionally, the strong and unpleasant, burning sensation that the pests experience when they come into contact with the cayenne pepper, will keep them far away from your plants.

When it comes to using the household staple, there are two options you can go for. The first would be to simply sprinkle the pepper in a hole and the soil surface around your plant. This will prevent squirrels from digging up newly planted bulbs and plants.

The other way would be in the form of a spray. Kathy Jentz, GardenDC Podcast host and author of The Urban Garden: 101 Ways to Grow Food and Beauty in the City said: "If you want to stop rodents from chewing on wooden surfaces or rubber items, then a spray would be more effective."

While the cayenne pepper may not work for all garden insects and animals, there is a long list of pests that the spice will keep away, including squirrals, mice, rabbits, skunks, raccoons and deers.

When it comes to pesky ants and bugs nibbling on plants, cayenne pepper will sure stop fruit flies, lace bugs, aphids, spider mites, yellow jackets, beetles, and slugs from enjoying a feast in your garden.

However, Kathy also warned gardeners to be careful when handling the spice noting that gardeners should "wear gloves and eye protection whenever handling any hot peppers or pepper by-products," and should especially avoid touching eyes or bare skin with the gloves while handling hot peppers.

According to Wikihow, this is how to make to use cayenne pepper spray for plants:

Simmer 1 gallon of water and 3 tbsp of pepper flakes in a pot for 15 minutes.

Let the mixture cool and set for 24 hours.

Strain any flakes or other solids out of the mixture.

Stir in 2 tsp of biodegradable dish soap.

Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray it on your plants in the morning or evening.