Garlic–Chilli Spray: A Home-Made Repellent for Sucking Pests
A garlic and chilli extract is the classic kitchen-garden repellent — cheap, quick to make, and effective against aphids, small caterpillars and other soft-bodied pests. Here is a working recipe, how to dilute and spray it, and why to test a patch first.
Technical Kisan Editorial2 min read
Before there were bottled botanicals, there was garlic and chilli. Ground together, steeped and strained, they make a contact irritant and repellent that keeps soft-bodied pests off a crop — aphids, thrips, small caterpillars, whitefly and mites. It costs almost nothing, uses what is already in the kitchen, and is a mainstay of organic and kitchen-garden pest control.
A working recipe
For about 10 litres of finished spray:
- Grind 100 g garlic and 100 g hot green or red chilli into a fine paste. (Wear gloves and keep it away from your eyes — the chilli is an irritant.)
- Soak the paste overnight in 1–2 litres of water. A teaspoon of mild liquid soap helps the extract stick to leaves.
- Strain thoroughly through a cloth so no grit blocks the sprayer.
- Dilute the strained extract up to about 10 litres of water before spraying.
Some growers add a little neem oil to the mix, which broadens what it covers — see neem oil spray for mixing neem so it emulsifies properly.
How to spray it
- Spray fresh — the extract weakens within a day or two, so make what you need and use it.
- Cool of the day — early morning or evening, off open flowers when bees are foraging.
- Cover the undersides of leaves, where sucking pests sit.
- Repeat every 7–10 days while pressure lasts — it repels rather than wiping out, so it needs keeping up.
- Test a patch first — a strong batch can scorch tender leaves. Dilute more for seedlings and soft crops.
What it is good and bad at
Good at: cheap, quick, residue-free repelling of soft-bodied and sucking pests on vegetables and the kitchen garden.
Weak at: hard-bodied beetles and heavy, established infestations, and it fades fast — this is an early, repeated, preventive spray, not a knock-down. Pair it with yellow sticky traps for whitefly and pheromone traps for moths so the stack covers what it misses.
Frequently asked questions
What does garlic–chilli spray control?
Soft-bodied and sucking pests — aphids, thrips, small caterpillars, whitefly and mites. It repels and irritates rather than killing outright, so it works best sprayed early and repeated, not as a rescue on a heavy infestation.
How do I make garlic–chilli spray?
Grind about 100 g garlic and 100 g hot green or red chilli into a paste, soak it overnight in a litre or two of water (a little mild soap helps it stick), then strain well. Dilute the strained extract to about 10 litres before spraying. Use it fresh.
How often can I spray it?
Every 7–10 days while pest pressure lasts, and always fresh — the extract loses strength within a day or two. Test on a few leaves first; strong batches can scorch tender foliage, so dilute more for soft crops and seedlings.
Compiled by
Technical Kisan Editorial
Editorial Desk
Guides are compiled by the Technical Kisan editorial desk from ICAR and state agricultural university recommendations, and from central and state government scheme notifications. Every figure is labelled with the season it applies to. Always confirm against the official notification before acting on it.
- Compiled from ICAR and state agricultural university guidance
- Scheme details sourced from official notifications
- Figures labelled with the season they apply to
Discussion is coming soon
We are building a comments section where you can ask a question about this guide and see what other farmers in your district are doing.
For now, write to us at [email protected] — we read every message.
