Deer & Rabbit Repellents

Deer can be beautiful, but they can also destroy a beautiful garden.

Deer and rabbits can be a gardener's worst nightmare. They can eat and dig up an entire garden in very little time. Their constant harassment of a plant can kill it. Fences do not always do the trick. A fence high enough to stop a deer can be easy enough for a rabbit to slip under and make it very difficult for people to enjoy the garden. Too low of a fence and the deer will simply jump the fence. Adding a deer and rabbit repellent can make a huge difference though and successfully keep the them out of the garden.

Sprays

Spraying the garden with a deer and rabbit repellent such as Liquid Fence's Deer and Rabbit Repellent can significantly help to deter destruction caused by deer and rabbits. Most of these sprays are all natural and environmentally friendly. If using a spray on your garden, be sure to wash any fruit, vegetables or flowers before eating or bringing them into the house. Also be sure that the chemical is pet and people friendly to avoid poisoning them.

Granules

Some deer and rabbit repellents are granules that are placed around the plants rather than onto the plants. Some of these repellents, such as Deer Scram, offer a light scent that is not as offensive as some of the other deer and rabbit repellents. When using this type of repellent, be sure that it is environmentally friendly and non-toxic. While it is meant to deter animals from entering the garden, it does not stop all animals, especially family pets. By ensuring that the product is non-toxic, you can help to prevent the possibility of accidentally poisoning your pet or child if the product is ingested.

Home Recipes

Some home recipes deter deer and rabbits from destroying a garden. One of the most common remedies is to mix blood with the fertilizer. This works on the animals' natural fear of blood, since blood means there may be a predator nearby. Another remedy includes planting hot peppers around the outside of the garden. A couple of strings coated in hot pepper oil may also be used, irritating the noses of the animals and keeping them away. Coyote urine, which can be purchased at a hunting store, is also very good at repelling deer and rabbits.

Nets

A type of net called Vexar can be slipped over the tree to provide the tree or sapling with limited protection from the deer. This net is a tube netting that expands to slip over the tree, protecting the new growth from deer damage. This net does degrade and decompose in three to five years, making it environmentally friendly, but it does not protect the tree from the damage caused by bucks rubbing their antlers on the tree during the rutting season.

Failure

Failure from even the best of deer and rabbit repellents can occur. The reasons behind the failure may include pet habitation, meaning that the deer and rabbits are so accustomed to the food being available that they ignore the repellent, extreme hunger or unpalatability of the food. In addition, some of the repellents may be washed away during rain or snow, making them ineffective.

References

• Liquid Fence: Deer and Rabbit Repellent
• Home Remedy: Rabbit Repellent
• Deer Scram
• Colorado State Extension: Repellent Information
• Colorado State University: Preventing Deer Damage