How to Mix a Homemade Deer Repellent

Though they're beautiful animals, deer will devastate a garden.

There's not much worse for a gardener than that sinking feeling you get when you walk into your garden and see that your plants have been destroyed by deer. Deer will eat just about any plant if they are hungry enough, but you can improve your odds of keeping your plants safe with the application of a homemade deer repellent. There's no guarantee it will keep them away, but the smell and taste just might make them look elsewhere for dinner.

Things You'll Need

• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon dish soap
• 1/2 cup milk
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Blender
• Empty milk jug with top
• Spray bottle

Instructions

1. Mix 3 eggs, 3 tablespoons hot sauce, 1 teaspoon dish soap, 1/2 cup milk and a pinch of cayenne pepper in a blender.

2. Pour the mixture into an empty milk gallon container. Add water to fill the container and replace the jug top. Shake the jug a little bit, then let the homemade deer repellent recipe sit for a few days.

3. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and apply on plants. Reapply the homemade deer repellent spray after it rains.

Tips & Warnings

• If the spray nozzle clogs, omit the cayenne pepper and add extra hot sauce, or experiment with other ingredients.

References

• University of Minnesota Extension; Coping With Deer in Home Landscapes; Beth Jarvis, et al.
• Rutherford County, Tennessee: Deer Repellent Recipes