Do It Yourself

smart and will trample those daffodils on the way to the treat of tulips!

Deer Prevention using Scents and Deer Repellent

The two types of deer repellents are ‘contact’ repellents and ‘area’ repellents.

Contact repellents are applied directly to plants, causing them to taste bad. Area repellents are placed in a problem area and repel by their foul odor. A great area repellant is my favorite organic fertilizer, Milorganite. It’s also good for the plants and does work fairly well to repel deer. Spread piles of Milorganite around your plants in varied places.

Apply contact repellents on a dry day with temperatures above freezing. Treat small trees completely. Older, larger trees may be treated only on their new growth as it is most tender. Treat to a height 6 feet above the maximum expected snow depth. Deer browse from the top down. Hang or apply repellents at the bud or new growth level of the plants you wish to protect.

Home Remedy Deer Repellent

A spray of 20 percent whole eggs and 80 percent water is one of the most effective repellents. The egg mixture is weather resistant but must be reapplied in about 30 days. Keep in mind that the egg repellant will rot in the sun, causing a foul smell not only to the deer’s nose, but to yours too!

Other home-remedy deer repellents are not too effective, but they are worth mentioning anyway just for fun. These include small, fine-mesh bags of human hair (about two handfuls) and bar soap hung from branches of trees. Replace both soap and hair bags monthly. You should use soaps with a sharper smell.
Scents that work in one area or for one person may not work at all in an area more highly frequented by deer for be prepared to try several of these methods.

deer netting

Of course, you could put up fences everywhere and that will pretty much stop the deer, but they can jump pretty high. In addition, fencing blocks the view of my tulips and that defeats the purpose.

There are also nets sold that you can drape over and around your plants. These nets serve to confuse the deer by making the plants look different. The problem here is that nets don’t look good draped everywhere and the deer are smart enough to figure it out eventually anyway.

Sometimes, a simple white rope tied to stakes in front of a row of arborvitae will serve to keep the deer away for a couple days. You can further confuse the deer by changing the height of the rope from week-to-week.

The key is to constantly switch things around. Try several of the above methods in different areas at different times of the year. By constantly making things appear different, you will always keep the deer confused. Keeping them confused means they just decide to go eat at your neighbor’s house, and not yours!

Do It Yourself Info by www.BestDoItYourSelf.Info