The smell that keeps caterpillars away is peppermint, vinegar, lavender and garlic.
These smells effectively repel caterpillars as they have pungent and intense aromas.
And spraying these scents on plants, alongside the use of companion plants like herbs or marigolds, also mask the scent of the plants and prevents moths from laying eggs.
These also repel and keep the caterpillars away, although regular application of these scents is required for maximum effectiveness at keeping the caterpillars away.
Rosemary, sage, peppermint oil and lavender are all very effective scents to repel caterpillars.
You can also repel and keep caterpillars away using a mixture of some garlic juice, onion juice cayenne pepper and dish soap, which acts as a deterrent to caterpillars when sprayed around areas as well as on plants.
Or you can also dilute a mixture of 1 part of vinegar to 2 parts of water, which can also be sprayed around the base of plants and areas where caterpillars hang out.
Even coffee grounds can also be used to keep caterpillars away, as the strong aroma of used coffee grounds, can make the area and foliage less appealing and less attractive to caterpillars.
Planting dill, marigolds and nasturtiums also helps to mask the scent of vegetables and plants and repels caterpillars.
These natural remedies to keep caterpillars away also must be reapplied frequently, especially after rain or watering.
You should also apply the sprays to keep caterpillars away, in the evening hours or early morning hours to prevent plant damage from the heat.
Manually removing the caterpillars and placing them in some soapy water will also kill the caterpillars and is a good idea for immediate control of the caterpillars.