Deers cause significant damage to gardens by feeding on flowers, vegetables, shrubs, and young tree bark, often breaking leaves and stems. Their constant grazing weakens or kills plants, while their hooves damage soil structure and compact it, making it harder for remaining plants to grow. Rubbing antlers causes wounds on the stem bark that invite diseases.
Deer repellents are products or methods to keep deer away from gardens, yards, and crops without hurting them. They use smells, tastes, or barriers that deer find unpleasant, such as sprays made from garlic or eggs, special granules that produce predator scents, or fences and nets.
Growcycle offers various deer repellent options that work effectively against deer and keep them away from gardens and other outdoor spaces.
Understanding Deer Behavior
Deer target gardens for the following reasons:
- Foraging instinct: Deer are browsers looking for tender shoots, leaves, and fruits.
- Seasonal pressures: Food scarcity brings deer into late winter and early spring gardens.
- Taste preferences: They avoid plants with strong scents or bitter, leathery foliage.
- Routine habits: Once a deer discovers a reliable food source, it will return repeatedly.
Natural Ways to Repel Deer
Here are some important natural ways to keep deer away from gardens:
Deer Repellent Plants
One of the simplest ways is to fill borders and beds with species deer naturally avoid. No plant is entirely deer-proof, but deer avoid many such as:
- Aromatic herbs: Lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme
- Furry or leathery foliage: Lamb’s ear, dusty miller, catmint
- Strongly scented ornamentals: Peonies, alliums, daffodils
- Woody shrubs: Boxwood, barberry, holly
Homemade Spray Repellents
Spray repellents work by coating foliage with odors or tastes that deer dislike. Apply liberally after rain or every two weeks. The following are some recipes:
- Garlic-Pepper Spray: Blend 10 cloves of garlic, one small hot pepper or one tablespoon cayenne, and a few drops of liquid soap in 1 quart of water. Keep overnight, strain, and dilute to two quarts before spraying.
- Egg-Based Repellent: Whisk together one raw egg (shell and all) with three parts water and one tablespoon liquid soap. The sulfurous smell of egg acts as a powerful deterrent.
- Rotten Egg and Garlic Combo: Combine one raw egg, four crushed garlic cloves, and one tablespoon hot sauce in 1 gallon of water. Let ferment 24–48 hours, strain, and spray.
- Hair or Soap Bar Solution: Place human hair clippings or small chunks of tightly wrapped, unscented soap in mesh bags and hang them throughout the garden; the unexpected odor scares deer off.
Physical Barriers and Fencing
While not strictly “repellents,” barriers remain one of the most reliable defenses:
- Deer-netting or garden mesh: Lightweight, easy to place over bushes and young trees.
- Electric tape fencing: Delivers a harmless shock; deer learn quickly to avoid it.
- High-tensile woven wire fence: A 7–8-foot tall wall is recommended, as deer can leap over standard 6-foot barriers.
Top Organic Deer Repellents
Here are some top deer repellents that use natural ingredients to repel them:
1. Deer Stopper II 32oz Repellent
Deer Stopper II’s 32 oz hose‑end sprayer formula comes ready to use. It requires no measuring or mixing and delivers up to 8,000 sq ft of deer protection in a single bottle. Its water‑soluble concentrate combines putrescent whole egg solids, garlic and roe residues, and other natural irritants to coat foliage with a taste and odor that deer find offensive but harmless to people, pets, birds, and pollinators.
2. Epic 25# Deer Repellent
Epic Deer Scram Deer Repellent comes in a convenient 25 lb white pail filled with all‑natural, biodegradable granules that quietly protect up to 32,400 sq ft by creating a perimeter barrier deer instinctively avoid. Its active ingredients (dried blood and garlic) release a scent like the smell of danger, triggering a fear response in these animals before they ever damage plants.
It is safe around fruit and vegetable gardens, pets, children, and beneficial wildlife. Deer Scram leaves no harmful residues and ultimately breaks down into high‑nitrogen organic nutrients that enrich the soil.
3. Everguard 32oz Deer Repellent
Everguard 32 oz Deer Repellent RTU is a ready‐to‐spray, eco‑friendly formula that combines putrescent egg solids with thyme, clove, cinnamon, and garlic oils to create taste and scent deterrents that deer instinctively avoid.
With a non‑offensive odor safe around children, pets, and edible plants, one 32 oz bottle treats up to 500 sq ft (or roughly 40–50 shrubs) and protects for up to 6–8 weeks before reapplication is needed.
4. Tomcat 24oz RTU Deer Repellent
Tomcat’s 24‑ounce Ready‑To‑Use Deer Repellent comes pre‑mixed in a convenient spray bottle to protect shrubs, flowers, and young trees without complex measuring or mixing. It is formulated with natural ingredients like garlic extract, essential oils, and bittering agents, which coat foliage with an odor and taste deer find unappetizing.
Spray evenly over the leaves and stems every three to four weeks (or after heavy rain) to maintain an invisible barrier that keeps deer away.
5. Epic 6# Deer Scram Resealable Bag
The Epic 6‑pound Deer Scram resealable bag provides granular formula in a convenient, moisture‑resistant package. Each 6‑lb bag contains a blend of dried blood meal, garlic, yeast by‑products, and other plant extracts that produce the scent of predator activity and leaves foliage tasting off to deer.
Simply mix the granules with water for a foliar spray or scatter them as a perimeter barrier. Depending on the application rate, one bag treats up to 3,000–4,000 sq ft, and then the bag is bundled closed to keep the remaining product fresh and easy to store.
FAQs
Can deer repellents be used on edible plants?
Many organic repellents are safe on vegetables and fruit trees, but check the label to be sure. If in doubt, avoid spraying directly on produce or wash edible parts thoroughly before eating.
What is the difference between granular and spray repellents?
Granular repellents are spread around the garden or mixed with water for a spray. Spray repellents coat plant leaves directly and may need more frequent applications, but are easy to target on high‑value plants.
When is the best time to start using deer repellents?
Begin applying repellents in late winter or early spring—before buds open—when natural food is scarce and deer are most likely to scour gardens for fresh shoots.
The Bottom Line
Deer repellents offer an easy and safe way to protect the garden from hungry deer without harming them. Gardeners can keep their plants healthy and growing by choosing the right repellent, such as spray, granules, or a physical barrier, and using it regularly. Visit Growcycle to explore various deer repellent products.