The average deer eats about 5 pounds of greenery each day. Creatures of habit, they revisit the same forage areas often. There are several ways to go about deer control. Below are some methods worth trying.
Homemade Remedies for Deer Control
The following non-toxic recipe will deter the deer, but may need to be re-applied after a heavy rain.
- Mix one whole egg with a quarter cup of water and mix well. Pour the mixture into a pump bottle and spray it on your plants. This deterrent will withstand light rains because the egg sticks to the leaves.
- Mix one tablespoon of liquid dish detergent with one ounce of hot sauce in one litre of water and spray directly on plants which deer have been nibbling.
For larger volume applications, mix the following ingredients:
- 1 cup milk
- 2 gallons water
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil
- 2 Tbsp liquid detergent
Pour the mixture into a pump bottle and spray it on your plants.
Other Ideas...some strange...but they work!
Zest Soap: A bar of Zest soap in a knee-high nylon stocking hung on a branch or bush keeps deer from eating your plant.
Hair Samples: Ask your local hair salon or barber shop to save the cut hair they sweep off the floor every evening. Spread these hair clippings around plants deer eat.
Country Leaks: If you live out in the middle of nowhere, where "country leaks" will go unnoticed, stop using the toilet and simply urinate all around the plants that deer like to eat. Sounds crazy, but it works! Note: Watch out for mosquitos:-)
Plants: Bog Salvia (Salvia uliginosa) and Lantana plants do a great job repelling deer. These plants have a particular smell that deer hate!
Store-bought Deer Repellent
Nontoxic natural deer repellents are commercially available, using variations of the above formulas.
