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Anyone use home-made deer spray with great results?

13 years ago

It's time to spray once again, and once again I am appalled by the cost of my usual Liquid Fence. I would like to know if anyone in an area with a lot of deer pressure has successfully used a home-brew, and, if so, what your recipe is. Or do I need to resign myself to paying $$$ for the store-brand stinky stuff?

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Comments (5)

TulsaRose
13 years ago
Some interesting recipes can be found at the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Deer Repellent Recipes
diggerdee zone 6 CT
13 years ago
I've thought about making it, but qiute frankly, I don't know if I can bring myself to do it, lol! I practically vomit when I spray the ready-made stuff. Don't know if I can have that smell permeating my kitchen....

:)
Dee
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Comments (22)
I've been battling deer for the past 20 years in NJ, Long Island, and PA, and I can say that the first really effective deer repellant I've come across is LIQUID FENCE. The only other product that comes near it is Hinder. Believe me, I've tried all of them, even concentrated garlic tablets. There are a lot of "snake oil" products on the market for deer control. Most of them are completely ineffective, a few are slightly effective (if you want to spend a day each week spreading it). Here's the skinny on deer prevention (and I recommend, as I said, Liquid Fence--yes, it stinks! that's why it works!) As a member of the American Rose Society, I received several years ago some information about their deer prevention program at the test gardens in Shreveport, LA. Mix your repellant (preferably L.Fence) @ one-to-one rate with water, place in plastic container covered with lid, punch holes in the sides (before filling, obviously), and place at 10-15 foot intervals along the border of the protected area. This way, the repellant will not evaporate over time. It will be effective regardless of rain. Remember: the key to deer control is to be PERSISTENT.
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Made from human waste???? Hmmmm....I could save my money and make like a bear.... Nah.... Seriously...thanks for the suggestion. This is the first I have heard of this kind of product. I've heard of people using their own urine rather than coyote/fox/bobcat/wolf urine. (Presumably after eating lots of meat.) But the only thing I've read on the, er, "human compost" side has been in the form of warnings not to use it, presumably both for one's own health and the plants'. So at first blush, my intuition is that one is taking far more of a chance in handling anything made from human waste than in using pepper spray. But doing some reading in previous posts (Milorganite seems to come up periodically), it looks as though it is, in fact, incinerated at temperatures that should make it pretty safe on the organic side, though some have raised concerns about non-living things that might make their way into the Milwaukee sewers, like industrial wastes. So I guess it's worth considering, especially if it keeps deer (and woodchucks too??) away from things for months, unlike things that need to be sprayed on after every rain -- while also not driving them completely from the yard. (I DO like to see fawns this time of year, and the deer earn their keep by eating the leaves the squirrels knock down from the elms.)
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jayco
Original Author
13 years ago
I agree, but I assumed the smell came from letting the stuff sit around a while... OUTSIDE.

I just can't stand wasting money, if that's what it is, so I was looking for anyone with first-hand success, since I don't want to risk getting everything chomped.
marquest
13 years ago
I purchased a bottle of minced garlic and made the recipes that are was suggested. It worked as good as the Deer Off. Like you I cannot keep buying the stuff and have to keep spraying after all the rain we have.

I have wild onions in my yard. When I dig them out Lay them over the new plants coming up and that helps. Once the plants get some size I lift the wild onions off the plants and start to spray with my homemade spray.

The Deer off smell goes away after a few hours. It is not the smell of the stuff it is the cost. That sticks with me for a long time.

It worked for me. Deer in every area are different some do not care what you do if they are hungry they will hold their nose and eat. LOL
rosesstink
13 years ago
My homemade concoction works and doesn't stink but it needs to be applied often (daily or almost). Start spraying early in the season so the deer get the point that this plant doesn't taste good.

In a quart sprayer: a squirt of dishwashing liquid, six or ten (whatever) drops of Chinese hot chili oil, and water. Shake. Spray.

Don't leave leftovers in the bottle over the winter. Talk about stink! Ask me how I know.

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