How to make homemade deer repellent (recipe)
I posted this in the Pennsylvania thread today, and then I realized it might be useful to others:
Got a problem with deer eating your shrubberies, trees and plants?
It will only get worse as we go into the fall and winter months. Local deer population have lots of options in the summertime but they get hungry in the cold months. This can be made with items you have around the house, or buy them at your local Dollar Store.
1 gallon of water in large pot
1/4 cup of liquid dish soap (or laundry soap)
Dollar Store size containers (approx. 4 or 5 ounces) of:
-Garlic powder
-Cayenne pepper powder (or crushed hot pepper flakes also works)
-Onion powder
Pour all into the water, mixing carefully.
Bring to simmering boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve all ingredients.
Turn off heat and allow to cool. Strain out solids through a metal sieve or paper filter (if needed).
Store in large empty milk container, should be good for the fall and winter season.
To apply to plants, pour into empty spray bottle and spray all green foliage and bark about once per week.
Don't spray on blooms, just green leaves and bark, because this solution may deter bees.
If there's a heavy rainfall, respray as necessary.
Here's a suggestion if the smell is bothersome: add a bottle of Dollar Store size peppermint extract during the boil. The deer are repelled by the peppermint smell - it stings their noses when they come in contact with it.
A gallon of this stuff should last about 6 months, unless you have a really large yard.
This is not a poison and it won't harm humans or pets, it will just deter the varmints.
= new reply since forum marked as read
The way this works is the garlic, onion and pepper attaches to their nose when they sniff the leaves and bark. That becomes a painful deterrent, and they leave and don't come back.
However rabbits are lower to the ground and eat smaller things, not tree bark or shrub leaves for sure.
I'd say give this a try and see if it works. You're only going to be out about $4 or $5 worth of ingredients.
Most of them are between $30 and $50.
I'm sure they work and all, but who wants to spend that kind of money?
Then I realized that I had this recipe from a long time ago and I thought I'd share it with everybody on DU.
I have some from at least 8 years ago, it still smells like peppermint, and it did indeed cost over 30.
No reason at all not to take a little time and mix some of this up. Let the deer eat elsewhere.
Thanks for posting; I saved the recipe.
Cher
