Owning a garden is fulfilling and rewarding because you get to eat what you grow. However, you aren’t the only one who likes to eat garden vegetation. Deer and other animals may take nibbles of these treats, which can be devastating to your harvest.
Therefore, you need the best deer repellent possible. We have focused on 12 products. Some of them are liquids, while others are light systems or variations.
This way, you can make a more informed and better decision. We also include a variety of tips and information to help you along.
Table of Contents
The Types of Deer Repellents and How They Work
You’ve got four primary types of repellents available to you. They include:
1. Deer-Frightening Repellent
These scare away the deer, but they could be mechanical, which we are going to talk about later. The device makes noise and startles the deer so that they don’t stay in the garden to eat.
In a sense, it’s the same concept as the scarecrow, just with sound. Options can also include motion sensors, triggering a sprinkler system, and much more.
2. Mechanical Repellents
These are physical barriers that block the access onto your property. In other words, we are talking about fences and walls. However, they may be deemed useless because deer can jump about 10 feet without an issue.
You could add electrical wire to shock the door and scare them off. However, they could still hop over it. Therefore, you may want to pair mechanical and deer-frightening mechanisms together.
3. Taste-Based Repellents
Deer are only in the yard to look for edibles, so you should work to make the plants as undesirable as you can. If everything they try to munch on tastes bad, they are going to realize that there isn’t anything tasty to eat in the area.
The products you choose can be applied to trees and plants and are highly bitter when eaten. Still, they aren’t going to harm the deer. It’s also possible to make homemade deer repellent, but this can be tricky and is often more expensive than buying pre-mixed solutions.
You also have to remember that bad-tasting repellents are going to wash away when it snows or rains. Therefore, you may need to apply them more frequently. Also, you have to fully saturate each plant, or the deer are just going to move along until they find something that does taste good.
4. Scented Repellents
The last option is scented repellent. Deer detect scents from far away, so you know that they aren’t going to come into your garden like they could with a taste repellent. There are a variety of unpleasant smells, such as strong soaps or urine, as a DIY choice. However, you can buy products that fool a deer into believing that predators are nearby. This is often the most effective way to repel deer.
The Best Deer Repellents For Your Gardens and Plants
Take a look at our table below to see all 12 products at once. Then, if something looks promising, you can click directly to that spot and start reading!
If you’re interested in a concentrated scented deer repellent, then the one from Deer Out might be ideal. It comes in a 32-ounce container and must be mixed with water. However, it does make about 2.5 gallons of repellent.
The smell is what many people worry about because they don’t want it to smell bad. This smells minty, so humans enjoy the scent. However, deer and other animals dislike it.
While it is sprayed on the leaves of your plants, it is designed not to wash off. It contains two natural ingredients, which keeps it on the plants. That way, you don’t have to spray it after every single rainfall.
The good news is that the ingredients are all-natural. There aren’t any poisons or chemicals that could harm the plants or animals. Plus, you could spray it a few days before harvest without worrying about your health.
This product is a number-one seller in many nurseries. Primarily, people like it because it works well.
2. Bobbex Concentrated Deer Repellent
Those who want something to deter moose, elk, or deer may like the Bobbex brand. This concentrated deer repellent lasts a long time once it is sprayed. It is guaranteed not to wash away once it has adhered to the plant.
Of course, it is also environmentally friendly because natural ingredients are used. This prevents deer from browsing in your garden. It works by using various taste and smell deterrents.
Consider spraying it around the yard or garden. The application process is simple. Just spray it right on the foliage. You do need to mix it with water to dilute it appropriately.
Then, use an E-Z pump device. Those who worry about harming the animals can rest easy. This product is harmless to humans, wildlife, and household pets, as well as aquatic life.
You can directly spray it on your ornamentals and many edible vegetation. However, it might not be suitable for rough-skin berries (raspberries or strawberries). Also, it may not work well on herbs and leaves.
The Liquid Fence brand is designed to repel both rabbits and deer. Wildlife isn’t going to get close to the vegetation because this product has a scent they do not like.
Just spray it on all of your plants. These can include vines, trees, flowers, and gardens. This product is a concentrated formula, so you must mix it with water first before spraying.
However, it does work immediately once it is sprayed on the leaves. Plus, it is resistant to the rain. Therefore, you don’t necessarily have to re-spray after a storm.
Plus, this product is safe and isn’t going to hurt your plants. It doesn’t harm the wildlife, humans, or pets, either. However, you do need to store and use it as the label suggests to be most effective.
You don’t need to use this with any other repellent. It can be applied regardless of the time of year or throughout the growing season. Deer and rabbits have a natural aversion to the scent displayed with this product.
4. I Must Garden Deer Repellent
If you’re one who doesn’t want to mix the repellent with water, the I Must Garden brand is ideal. It is ready to spray, though you can find concentrate products, as well.
It primarily utilizes multiple natural ingredients so that the plants are inedible to deer. Plus, it contains botanical oils that are powerful and irritating to the deer’s sense of smell. While other brands have a lower percentage of active ingredients, this one has triple the amounts.
You can spray it directly on the plant that has been damaged by a deer. It is completely safe for perennials, such as roses and tulips. You can also use it on annuals, shrubs, and vegetables.
The product has some strong sticking agents, all of which are natural. Therefore, the repellent adheres better to the leaves of the plant. You don’t have to reapply it after a normal rainfall, either.
Since it uses botanical oils and other natural ingredients, it is safe for people and pets. No glue or harmful chemicals are used.
5. Nature’s Mace Deer and Rabbit Repellent Concentrate
When it comes to keeping rabbits and deer out of your yard, Nature’s Mace sounds like a great choice. It comes in a 40-ounce concentrate formula, which means you have to mix it with water. This can make about five gallons of spray when mixed appropriately and can treat up to 28,000 square feet of space.
The proven technology of the product allows it to dry without a smell. However, the animals can smell it, and it might smell similar to a predator and keep them away. If they happen to take a nibble, they are going to be turned off.
While it is rain resistant, you should check the plants periodically. However, the product does claim that it doesn’t wash off with irrigation, rain, and normal use and can be used year-round.
It is suitable for a variety of things, such as lawns, landscapes, and gardens. You can spray it on flowers, vines, trees, and ornamental plants, among others.
6. Enviro Pro 1025 Deer Scram Repellent Granular White Pail
If you don’t want to use a liquid repellent, then it might be time to consider Enviro Pro. It’s a deer scram repellent with a granular base. The can itself is a shaker, so it’s easy to apply.
Of course, the goal of the product is to repel the deer before they start nibbling on the plants. In fact, it is a scram product, which means it is very effective.
It puts an odor barrier around the plants and gives that ‘smell of death’ to the deer. However, it doesn’t smell bad for humans or your pets.
When there have been days of extended sunlight without rain, you are going to have to reapply the product more frequently. However, it doesn’t have any synthetics added to it and is biodegradable and non-toxic to the environment.
Consider applying it every month, depending on your weather conditions. To do so, just sprinkle it evenly around your plant roots. As it biodegrades, it puts more nitrogen in the soil.
7. Ultrasonic Solar Powered Animal Repellent Outdoor
Those who want something a bit more high-tech might like the Ultrasonic solar-powered animal repellent. The sensor emits powerful sounds and some flashing lights. Therefore, it can scare away cats, dogs, mice, and other animals, including deer.
It features a 180-degree angle and detection of between 80 and 100 feet. Though it’s solar-powered, it comes with rechargeable batteries to help at night and on cloudy days. Under normal conditions, it can last up to seven days without sunshine.
Also, it comes with a charger. There are no traps or chemicals, and you don’t have dead animals on the property. This is designed to scare the animals away by noise and sight.
There are many ways to use the product. Put it on the ground or mount it on a wall. Therefore, it works well for patios, yards, porches, gardens, boats, and much more.
It does come with mounting poles. Plus, it comes with various modes to scare away different animals. That means it is multipurpose.
8. Nite Guard Solar NG-001 Predator Control Light
The Night Guard brand is a single light that emits constant flashing. Therefore, it is best to use at night when animals feed or hunt. They feel like they have been spotted or watched, so they quickly vacate the area.
You can use it to protect your poultry and livestock, as well as gardens and campsites. However, it is solar-powered and comes with no batteries or charging adapter. Therefore, if it is a cloudy or sunless day, it might produce weak light or none at all.
It can also have a dual-purpose and frighten off would-be intruders because it looks like a security camera. Also, you can put it anywhere because it is waterproof. Automatically, it activates at dusk and flashes light all night long.
One caveat here is that you may want light going in all directions, so you may have to buy four to six of these for each area. Plus, you need it to be four feet high and in every direction.
9. PREDATORGUARD Solar Powered Predator Deterrent Light
When you don’t want to spray products, PREDATORGUARD might be ideal. It’s a deterrent light and is made using very tough industrial materials. It’s designed to never require maintenance and have a longer lifespan.
This product can repel a variety of predators, such as skunks and deer. It also works against fox, coyote, wolf, and bears. You can protect your orchard, garden, pond, vineyard, and property.
With the solar LED unit, it automatically charges up and can turn itself on and off at the right time. All you have to do is set it up one time, and you are done. It also features an alternating flash pattern so that animals can’t get used to the lights.
While it can repel a variety of animals, it requires various height levels to do so. For deer, you want it about four feet high while flying predators need it to be at eight feet. If you’ve got a large area, you are going to want four lights so that one can be in every direction.
The Orbit brand is called a yard enforcer because it uses motion-sensing technology hooked to a sprinkler system. It can repel pests humanely and keeps them away from your yard, plants, and gardens with a simple spray of water.
This product can work both day and night, as opposed to many others that only work at night. You’ve also got a 24-hour mode, so it just works all the time. That way, you’ve got the flexibility you need to activate the device when you most need it.
The design is simple but stable; just push the spike into the ground to hold it in place. Its spray of water can go about 70 feet in a full circle. This covers roughly 3,800 square feet when you set it to the full circle mode.
However, it also saves batteries and water by using sensing technology. Therefore, it only turns on when there is an animal to scare. With four AA batteries and about two cups of water, you can get almost 7,500 cycles.
11. Hoont Cobra Animal Repeller
The Hoont brand of animal repeller offers 24/7 protection from rabbits, deer, squirrels, foxes, and birds. You can also use it to repel bears, raccoons, dogs, cats, and rodents.
This product features a powerful jet stream. You can stake it into the ground quickly. Plus, it is designed to hook onto any hose with quick-fit connections.
Anytime it senses movement, the sprinkler clicks and shoots water all over. This is designed to scare the animals away from the space.
Its PIR sensor can cover up to 30 feet away and comes with an adjustable arc width (1,000 square feet). You can increase and decrease the protected zone size or turn it off completely when you’re doing activities in the backyard.
Of course, it is solar-powered and features a five-second spray cycle that works intermittently. This ensures that the animals don’t get used to the spray pattern.
You’re going to need two AA rechargeable batteries, but they are included. Plus, you aren’t hurting the animals or killing them.
12. Easy Gardener 6050AZ Netting and Fencing
Those who want a fence might like the one from Easy Gardener. It’s a seven-foot-high fence and goes out 100 feet. The netting is black, so it’s easily seen by people and other animals.
This product is economical and lightweight. The netting is also UV-resistant and can be reused as a mesh deer fence. Put it around your vegetables, berries, or shrubs.
The netting comes in a roll, so it is easy to put out as much as you need. Plus, it can attach to trees or posts without damaging them.
If you want a DIY option, you can easily put this netting around your trees, crops, orchards, and shrubs. It is designed to protect the entire landscape from deer. However, you do need to make sure that you purchase enough for the space you want to protect.
The polypropylene mesh is easy to use and flexible. Plus, you can take it down at the end of the season and reuse it next season. It’s ideal for organic gardens where nothing should be sprayed.
When Should I Apply Deer Repellent?
It is best to apply your deer repellent early in the evening. Usually, deer come out at night to feed, so that means the scent is going to be strong while they are there to munch. Plus, the wetness of the morning can cause the sticky agent not to adhere.
Some people believe that the sun’s exposure could burn your delicate plants. Therefore, the evening is always the best.
The right time of year to apply your deer repellent is when new plants start emerging. Often, this is in early spring. It’s ideal to begin applying deer repellent before you see any damage or activity.
How Do I Apply Deer Repellent?
When using the spray version, you should cover the plants thoroughly. Continuously spray the fine mist until you see runoff.
Make sure the plants are dry and let the product dry for an hour before you water it. That way, the repellent adheres better.
You’re going to reapply the repellent about every month, in general. However, you may need to reuse it every two weeks. Plus, there is sure to be new growth at times, so you want to touch up the spaces to cover those things, too.
When Should I Water My Plants After Applying Deer Repellent?
We suggest that you apply the product to your dry plants and then water them the next morning before the sun comes up. However, if you can’t wait that long, you can water your plants an hour after applying the repellent.
Keep in mind some manufacturers have specific instructions for when to water. Some say one hour, and others make you wait up to six. For best results, follow the advice mentioned above.
You may also want to invest in an irrigation system for the best results. That way, the water goes directly to the roots, and it minimizes the water’s exposure to the repellent so that it is more effective all-around.
Conclusion
Since we reviewed a variety of different products, we have a couple that we think are the best deer repellents. For the concentrated liquid product, we liked the Deer Out brand best with its mint scent and natural ingredients.
If you prefer a granular product that is sprinkled all over, the Environ Pro brand might be ideal. It smells like death to the deer, so they don’t want to come over.
When you want something technologically advanced, the COKIT ultrasonic repellent work well. Plus, it offers different modes to repel various animals.
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