Natural Deer Repellant?

jaybirdsmommy

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Joined
Jan 27, 2008
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1,428
Anyone have any ideas for keeping deer out of the garden? They've eaten everything I've planted so far.

I know an 8ft fence would be the most reliable way of keeping them out but it isn't in the budget any time soon.
 
We have friends that were hanging a bar of soap nearby to keep the deer away from their landscaping. Apparently the scent worked at keeping them away.

Not exactly natural, but not toxic and won't need to be reapplied after watering or rain.
 

Anyone have any ideas for keeping deer out of the garden? They've eaten everything I've planted so far.

I know an 8ft fence would be the most reliable way of keeping them out but it isn't in the budget any time soon.

if the plants are strictly ornamental-mix cayenne pepper with water, put in a spray bottle and apply. they will taste it ONCE-then leave it alone. if it's something you are going to eat I wouldn't recommend it b/c despite all the washing you do that stuff STICKS to the plants.
 
I buy a bar (or several bars) of Irish Spring body soap, poke a hole in the soap, run a piece of string through the soap, hang it from a tree limb or stick in the area where I want the deer to avoid. You have to make sure the soap doesn't drain in a place where you want to plant anything, and need to check on the bar a couple of times a growing season, but it really works. Other soaps might work, but they need to be heavily scented. I've used this for years. In a garden area, you would probably need multiple bars, and they need to hang from something so the scent carries on the breeze. Sadly, this doesn't work for bunnies.
 
My sister in law used to have the boys pee on the plants she wanted the deer to stay away from. I wonder what she does now that they are grown? :)
 
/
HaHa - I was just going to ask if this thread made anyone else think of that scene from Doc Hollywood?


Seriously, though, I don't have an answer, but the soap thing sounds promising. I'd try that.
 
My sister in law used to have the boys pee on the plants she wanted the deer to stay away from. I wonder what she does now that they are grown? :)

Well, based on the men in my life it really doesn't matter if they're grown or not. :rolleyes1
 
I ran a story on this years ago. Go to the Zoo, ask if they have anything the lions have peed on. The reporter went to the Zoo, and got some straw from the lion pen that they had urinated on.
Apparently it works.
 
I ran a story on this years ago. Go to the Zoo, ask if they have anything the lions have peed on. The reporter went to the Zoo, and got some straw from the lion pen that they had urinated on.
Apparently it works.

That sounds like fun, might scare my dogs to death, though. Unfortunately we don't have a local zoo here. The nearest one is over an hour away. I don't think I want to drive that far in the summer with smelly lion pee straw in the car.
 
Anyone have any ideas for keeping deer out of the garden? They've eaten everything I've planted so far.

I know an 8ft fence would be the most reliable way of keeping them out but it isn't in the budget any time soon.

Problem is deer are a healthy step dumber than even rabbits so you can't rely on them getting the message and moving on.

If you're willing to apply a spray to your garden regularly a solution of dish soap is usually safe and will eventually get them to stop eating. It's also good for killing beetles but will not kill beneficial ground insects. It isn't a great fix but it works as well as the expensive solution they sell.

A 3ft plastic fence like you get on a roll will do a good job of discouraging them. They won't purposely jump it to get to your garden. But, again, they are dumb if they are following a herd and all of a sudden your fence is there they'll jump it out of habit. Usually, once they realize they are penned in by the small fence they spook and jump it. This seems to work at least as good over the long haul as treating garden with sprays.

Motion detecting light fixtures set up on corners of garden will detect their presence. Now instead of lights have the power from socket run to a noisemaker or weatherproofed electric motor. This works very well.

Set a pile of deer food somewhere else if you can get it cheap enough. Let the deer eat a bushel of ground apples or feed carrots. This works great but can cost more than a garden is worth and will probably just invite more deer to your yard than before.

Talk to your city politicians in support of a deer cull. Sounds heartless but deer are destructive and dangerous to auto traffic. Suburban deer populations are artificially high because of easy access to food and reduced predators. Reducing that population is the humane and most natural form of wildlife management.
 
Problem is deer are a healthy step dumber than even rabbits so you can't rely on them getting the message and moving on.

If you're willing to apply a spray to your garden regularly a solution of dish soap is usually safe and will eventually get them to stop eating. It's also good for killing beetles but will not kill beneficial ground insects. It isn't a great fix but it works as well as the expensive solution they sell.

A 3ft plastic fence like you get on a roll will do a good job of discouraging them. They won't purposely jump it to get to your garden. But, again, they are dumb if they are following a herd and all of a sudden your fence is there they'll jump it out of habit. Usually, once they realize they are penned in by the small fence they spook and jump it. This seems to work at least as good over the long haul as treating garden with sprays.

Motion detecting light fixtures set up on corners of garden will detect their presence. Now instead of lights have the power from socket run to a noisemaker or weatherproofed electric motor. This works very well.

Set a pile of deer food somewhere else if you can get it cheap enough. Let the deer eat a bushel of ground apples or feed carrots. This works great but can cost more than a garden is worth and will probably just invite more deer to your yard than before.

Talk to your city politicians in support of a deer cull. Sounds heartless but deer are destructive and dangerous to auto traffic. Suburban deer populations are artificially high because of easy access to food and reduced predators. Reducing that population is the humane and most natural form of wildlife management.


Thanks,

I'll give the soap a try since several have suggested it. Will try the noisemakers as well.

Fences, lights, and a small crazed dog don't seem to deter our neighborhood deer at all. We've already got all of those in place. The dog runs himself ragged every morning clearing out the yard and chasing them back through the holes in the fence.
 

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