subject: Say Goodbye to Your Broccoli Party Gatecrashers [print this page] Another alternative is the use of fish fertilizer which you can spray. This is a deterrent for many unwanted presence in your garden. Although there is no scientific study yet on how this works, it is obvious that fish fertilizer is rich in oil and this smothers small bugs like mites and nematodes. Another reason why it works is that moths and butterflies have powerful sense of smell and are not likely to breed in places where there is a stench.