Gardeners urged to scatter two fruit peels in gardens now to deter prowling pest for good

12/20/2024 08:18 AM

THERE’S always a bit of a gardening lull in December, with the colder temperatures making it hard to get jobs done.

But there’s still one task you need to get on top of to deter a prowling pest from mucking about in your flowerbeds.

Of course, gardens face a whole host of nuisances during winter when food is in short supply – and cats also like to hang around.

Cats can be unpredictable and territorial, so it can make keeping them out of you garden extremely tricky.

Often these four-legged pets head into the garden to attack birds, nibble on plants and dig them up before using it as a toilet.

Not only do they ruin your plants, they often mark their territory by spreading pheromones from fouling and urinating and will constantly visit while their scent remains.

To make sure they stay out and can no longer smell their own scent, gardening experts recommend using oranges.

As oranges don’t grow in the UK, the pros suggest using orange peel to sprinkle around the garden.

According to the experts at Primrose, cats "hate citrus scents".

So if you’re making mimosas or mulled wine over Christmas, it’s the perfect chance to take your leftover orange peel and scatter it where you'd like to deter the offending felines. 

The idea behind this is simple – the cat smells the fruit, dislikes it and wanders off. 

And it keeps them away from your garden without causing any harm.

Lemon peels can also be used for this trick as they too give off a citrusy pong.

Make sure to replace the peels once they get old and lose their smell to keep cats away.

Once done, you can use the orange peels in your compost as they have high vitamin content.