We see Buffy deck her room out with garlic when she's worried about Angelus.  But do we ever actually see garlic used against a vampire?  Or one's reaction to garlic?  

It just seems like for something that was introduced into the vampire lore of the Buffyverse, it isn't used very much.

Here's my hypothesis - since garlic (and brewers yeast, but it never made vampire lore) is often used, somewhat successfully, to deter ticks and fleas, my guess is that back in the day people assumed that this common folk remedy for bloodsucking critters would also work on vampires.  :)

Buffy also attempts to use it to keep Spike away in s6.  But she's still in denial by the time "Gone" comes around, and we don't see the garlic in her room the next day or so.  Yeah, I'm thinking it doesn't work on vamps, and pretty much makes any human that uses it for the purpose of warding off vamps look mighty ridiculous.

I don't remember Buffy using it to ward off Angelus - just Spike. My interpretation was that it was an irrational thing on her part, used more for the visual of Buffy's desire to keep Spike out than any actual protection. I mean, if she *really* wanted to keep him out of her room, she'd have done the de-invite spell and kept him out of the whole house! Since we never see her use it in combat against vamps (come on, throwing garlic bulbs like baseballs? that'd be funny!), I don't think it's really supposed to be part of the Jossverse vampire lore.

Here's my theory - people use it to ward off vampires, figuring that it'll make them smell bad enough that the vampires won't want to eat them. No mystical properties necessary.

I just deleted my pics of Buffy's room with the garlic on my photobucket account. But if you go to screen cap paradise and look under season two, you'll see her bedroom shots with her and Willow sitting on her bed with the garlic hanging above them.

I find it truly funny that the vampire slayer would use something to keep the vamps away that didn't work. She really did need that handbook huh? But then again, if she did have it and read it, then she might not have lasted as long as she did.

I think either Angel or Spike, maybe both said it just smells very strongly and badly, something like that, and isnt any more of a repellant then that.

Buffy not knowing better and falling onto her movie-vampire knowledge doesnt mean it introduces garlic into the buffyverse lore. It was buffy freaking out i mean "it couldnt hurt". Clear movie reference meant to make us sigh and shake our heads at buffy.

Silly silly girl!!! :D

I agree with JoJoBird. I always imagined that vampires hate garlic because of their enchanted senses. I mean, it smells bad for a normal person. For someone with super nose it has to be awful.

I'm fairly certain Spike *eats* garlic - or at least, lots of things like hot wings that would likely have garlic or garlic powder in them. That's either an intentional funny on the part of the writers, or one of those lapses in continuity of which we are so fond. :)

Oh, yeah, it's absolutely hilarious, thinking of Spike eating, dunno, pizza or tacos with garlic souse and people (or Angel) telling him he shouldn't...

Sorry. My private fantasy here :)

does anybody actually know what garlic is supposed to do to vampires?  i've never come across an explanation of what it does.

~Ghost Writer

Vamps in the buffy universe? nothing more then an eye sting and a headache from the strong smell?

In the movies in our world/buffys world? what ive seen a lot like holy water, it makes them sizzle and burn, whilst holywater acts like acid for vamps garlic is like a pan thats been over the fire for some time and is glowing hot. Nasty burns. Just like crosses

I know in blade, esscence of garlic keeps him from the blood lust when injected. And i think ive seen a movie where its been used as 'warding' like you would use talismans and so on.

In Bram Stoker's Dracula, I think that garlic was merely used as a deterrent. It didn't hurt the vamps, but they didn't want to come close to it because of the smell. When Van Helsing killed Lucy, he first staked her, then cut off her head and filled her mouth with garlic to keep her from rising again. That's how I remember it, anyway; but I haven't read that book in a loooong time, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. :)

In bram stokers dracula the movie from the early 90's i always got the feeling it was used for warding him off. And it had to be removed in order for him to enter her room and get to her in her bed. Dont think it was smell so much as like a ummm oniony talisman :D .. in the book i dunno

Well I love garlic. I'm strange, I know. But I will sit and just sniff freshly chopped garlic, and I put it in everything that I can. I LOVE garlic, lol.

Maybe Spike adapted to the smell of it since he does eat many foods that contain it.

Garlic was mentioned in S1, The Harvest, although I don't remember anyone actually using it on a vampire.  (Maybe the source of Drusilla's 'illness'?)

XANDER: Okay, so, crosses, garlic, stake through the heart.

BUFFY: That'll get it done.