Take a powder—athlete’s foot powder, that is. This odiferous health-care product can fend off much more than the foul fungi that make your tootsies cracked and sore—it can also help protect your garden from pests and diseases. Here are just a few ways you can put that strong aroma to work:

Repel ants. Just sprinkle the powder around whatever the ants are targeting. They’ll keep their distance for sure.

Deter deer. Pour athlete’s foot powder onto cotton cloths and hang them on your fence—or in the branches of your trees and shrubs—to keep deer away.

Critter-proof spring bulbs. Before planting spring-flowering bulbs, dust them with the powder. It’ll keep squirrels, chipmunks, and other four-legged pests from digging them up and eating them for dinner.

Protect bulbs in storage. When you dig up gladiolus, dahlias, and other tender bulbs in the fall, dust them with athlete’s foot powder before stashing them away. It’ll fend off insects and diseases that could sneak in over the winter.