adminOne sure fire way of keeping away deer from gardens and landscapes is through the use of deterrents. Of the numerous forms of deterrents including hearing, taste and touch deterrents, scent based deer deterrents are the most effective.
Odor deterrents are basically of two kinds. On one hand are those that makes the deer feel as though it is in danger, with aromatic bar soap being a typical example or blood meal. On the other are scents that sends false alert of an approaching predator.
For better results, scent repellents may need to be reapplied again and again especially after a rainfall. Also, scent repellants should be applied from ground up to a height of 6 feet above snow line because deer do reach that level when searching for food.
One simple and really effective scent repellent is a bar of foul smelling soup. The odor has to be strong to keep away deer. To use, head over to the grocery store and buy in large quantities. Then cut the soaps in twos and then hang around your garden using cheesecloth. A bar soap with very strong scent can last from spring all through winter. Only ensure the soaps aren’t hung on shrubs as doing so will attract rodents which feed on these soaps. Some kind of repellant soaps attract other annoying pests like raccoons.
Furthermore, it’s been found that repellent soaps with coconut oil content do attract the deer they are meant to repel. The major ingredient that repels them is tallow, a sort of acid derived from the fats of animals. A deer can conveniently feed three feet away from where a bar soap is placed. So, this would mean planting more than 30 soaps in every 100-foot space. The number of soap you will need depends on if your yard is being pressured by deer or not. The Nature’s MACE Granular Deer Repellent is an option that includes both tallow and a variety of other effective deterrents.
Another solution to deer infestation is the use of human hair. Deer scurry for safety at the scent of human hair. Human hair can be easily sourced from barbers shop. Do bear in mind that deer that live around urban areas are used to human hair, and so won’t budge when they smell one. Human hair, fox hair, coyote hair, etc. are also effective on a variety of other animals such as rodents.
Aromatic plants like yarrow, tansy and Artemisia with offensive scents are known to keep away deer. For better results, mix these aromatic plants with herbs like dill, thyme, oregano, dill, chives and mint in your garden.
Spray based odor repellents also work well when used at the right time and right quantity. They are of two types – home remedies and commercial products. When preparing the home remedy yourself, ensure some quantity of surfactant is added to the entire mixture to make it last longer. When applying, do so cautiously because some of commercial products contain ingredients like rotten eggs and garlic which of course are offensive to humans. One really effective product you should try is slaughterhouse wastes – they work real well.
Caution must be exercised when acquiring raw slaughterhouse wastes especially when doing so yourself. You might end up attracting predators or worse, spreading harmful bacteria by sourcing raw wastes wrongly. Since this kind of repellent is flammable and pose health threats to pets and kids, it will be wise to seek professional help when sourcing for slaughterhouse waste.
Talking about effectiveness, no other repellant beats a predator’s urine. You can either purchase them from commercial stores or get them from the zoo. What you may not know is that deer fear both predators like the coyotes and wolf they come across all the time, and those like tigers and lions they barely encounter. To use, get a piece of cotton material, dip in the urine, place the wet cloth in a container, perforate the container and then place at strategic places around your garden.
Some commercial odor repellents contain products like mint oil, citrus, and cinnamon which helps lessen the offensive smell of the repellent to human. Find out more about this by reading the book, Deerproofing your yard and garden written by Rhonda Hart.
Always test to see if your home made repellent would be harmful to your plant before applying them fully. Additionally, ensure they don’t pose health threat to humans and even to the deer you are trying to scare away. The goal is to scare them off and not to harm them.
It is important you mind the brand of repellent you buy in the market because some would require loads of repeated application to work, and this will definitely cost money and time. Factors like deer population pressure, availability of food and preference will determine the effectiveness of your choice of repellent.
Always bear this in mind when searching for the best deer repellent – new things frighten deer. However, they will with time learn not to fear that new thing again, and so the best way to beat them is by changing your strategies. You don’t have to wait until you start seeing deer around your garden to use repellents. It’s best you keep them away now because it will be difficult to do so when they discover their favorite deli are abundant in your garden.
If you want your area free of deer today, try the Nature’s Mace Deer Repellent. Backed by numerous university studies, this all natural formula has more of the strongest ingredients found in nature.
The technology uses a unique three prong repellency which targets the deers sense of taste, smell, and fear. Specifically chosen organic ingredients, also fertilize your your yard as a dual action repel and revive system. Click here to try a proven effective deer repellent!
