Deer Repellent Tips




First make sure it is deer damage and not damage from another animal.

Look at tracks and plants damaged by deer. Learn to tell the difference between animal damage to plants.

Recognize Deer Damage

Start early in Spring - Protect your plants early. Start spraying deer repellent in early Spring and continue through Fall. Most deer repellents need to be reapplied every 2-3 months at least. You should reapply as needed to new growth since it is the deer's favorite part. Put on your repellent before deer start coming around and doing damage. It is much easier to deter them if they haven't already been eating there.

Deer Resistant Bulbs

Change it up - Deer become accustomed to tastes or smells. Rather than just changing the brand of deer repellent you're using, identify what the active ingredient is. Then, change the active ingredient. Some competing brands may use the same active ingredient, yet in different strengths. Rotate your repellent and ingredients every season.

Deer Repellents

Multi-Faceted Approach - When possible, try to affect as many senses of the deer as possible. Sight, sound, smell, and taste are all vulnerable areas of our four-legged friends. Targeting two of the senses at the same time will make it that much more intimidating to the deer. That's why we suggest using a deer repellent spray or powder in combination with deer resistant plants and maybe even a temporary fence, a scarecrow, a radio, wireless deer fence, pans, waterspray,or even a dog.

Temporary Deer Fence

Mechanical Deer Repellents

Vegetables and Fruits or Landscape Plants -Repellent for shrubs and flowers can contain a bitter ingredient which can't be used on edible plants. Some repellent also contain latex to help the repellent stick. Make sure and read the label carefully and only use those repellent recommended for edible food on your crop plants. To be safe you can make your own repellent.

Homemade Deer Repellent Recipes

Deer Resistant Vegetables



This video talks about using multiple strategies to control deer



Deer Resistant Plants-Whenever it is possible, avoid planting trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers that deer prefer to eat. There are many plants that deer would only eat in extreme circumstances. You will greatly cut down on the amount of repellent your will have to use by choosing resistant plants in the first place. Deer Resistant Plants

Allow repellent to dry on plants before watering.Don't spray if it is getting ready to rain. Spray on non-windy days when the temperature will be at least 40 and less than 90 degrees.

Spray Season-
Taste repellent work better in colder seasons, and odor repellent work better in the warm seasons. If your strategy is to let the deer taste your plant then be repelled, then you would use a taste repellent in the winter. If you don't want them tasting your price roses at all, then you will be using an odor repellent which will be working better in the summer. The best would be a recipe or formulation that works both ways in combination.


Combination Repellents
Taste Action Deer Repellents
Odor Action Deer Repellent



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