Best Deer Deterrent

Homeowners have a wide variety of options for the best deer deterrent, from planting deer resistant plants to spray-on repellent. There are a lot of choices for easy to make mixture to make at home, or to buy commercially. Chemical free options, scare tactics, and barriers are other excellent ways to keep deer from eating a day of hard work and precious garden fruits and vegetables.

Luckily, the best deer deterrent is both easy to make with common ingredients, and unbelievably cost effective. The most popular solution is a mixture of raw eggs in water. One raw egg can be mixed with one gallon of water, and then sprayed or sprinkled directly on the plants that need protection from hungry deer. This mixture should be reapplied after rain or watering with a sprinkler, or when new grown appears on the plants. The potency of the spray can be increased by using a smaller amount of water per egg, and the spray can also be left in the sun to putrefy, in order make the odor stronger. Some research suggests that adding a little bit of oil makes the mixture adhere to the plant leaves more easily.

A raw egg solution may not be the best deer deterrent if it is a vegetable or fruit garden that needs protection from deer. Eggs can carry salmonella and other harmful microbes, and who wants to eat fresh vegetables or garden fruit that has been sprinkled with rotten eggs? For leafy vegetables such as lettuce and kale, a solution of water and soap may be am option. While less effective against deer, a watery solution of dish soap is also a deterrent for hungry deer. Regardless of what deterrent is used on garden fruits and vegetables, all food grown outside should be washed thoroughly before eating.

An additional kind of deer deterrent is pellets made from wolf or coyote urine. This is available from hunting and gaming outlets, and through online retailers. While effective, this method presents some drawbacks and controversy. The ways that the urine is for protracted from the predatory animals is thought by some to be inhumane. Additionally, this deterrent emits a very unpleasant odor, which deters deer, but is also offensive to people.

For some situations, a motion activated sprinkler is arguable the best deer deterrent. These devices are prices at about fifty dollars, and a sprinkler can sense movement over one thousand square feet. Deer will typically avoid areas once they learn that they will get wet when they enter, and the water is, of course, safe for plants that will be eaten later. Motion activated sprinklers are available through online retailers as above ground units without pricey installation of an in ground system. The motion activation works day sand nights, and and added advantage is that they will continue to work when homeowners are away from home an unable to reapply a spray repellent when needed.

The best deer deterrent, therefore, is usually an egg based spray, but other solutions should be considered depending on the situation at hand.