Deer Repellent Options

Trying to keep deer from destroying plants, crops and trees is nothing new. Over the years, a variety of different deer repellent strategies have been tried.

This post outlines the most effective deer repellent options available.
Fencing: It Can Work, But May Not Be the Best Solution
Traditional fencing may be effective at keeping deer out, but may not be the best choice for you.
Often people don’t want to detract from their landscape with fencing. Plus, installing fencing can be costly and time-consuming … not to mention the upkeep. If you’ve got a fence that needs repair, you’ve got a fence that isn’t keeping the deer out.
Deer have been known to jump over fences, some as even as 8 feet tall. Plus, to be most effective, fences need to completely enclose the area being protected. Just because you install a portion of a fence where there’s a deer path doesn’t mean the deer won’t simply find another way into your yard or garden.
If you don’t like the idea of installing fencing on your property, there are other forms of deer repellents that can work for you.
Motion Detector Sprinklers Designed for Repelling Deer 
There are motion detector sprinklers on the market today designed specifically for repelling deer.
When the sprinkler senses animal movement, it releases a sudden burst of water. The sudden burst, along sound and movement will scare deer and condition them to stay away.
The most effective motion detector sprinklers use infrared technology to identify heat, in addition to movement. Also, they’ll utilize a random pattern so deer don’t become accustomed to the spray blasts.
Static Shock to Repel Deer 
Another form of deer repellent is electronic. By administering a harmless static shock, deer will be conditioned to stay away.
Using deer bait, the electronic deer repellent will entice deer to touch it. More importantly, it will attract deer in the short range, not deer that are far away. Then, on contact, will release a static shock to frighten the deer.
It works year-round (even in the winter!), doesn’t require wires and is economical. Once the deer are conditioned to stay away from a particular area, the units can be moved to another location.
When choosing an electronic deer repellent, select one that:

• Has a step-in stake design, which makes for easy installation
• Covers at least 1,000 square feet
• Doesn’t need the batteries changed often; there are models that only require battery changes once a year or less

Effective Liquid Deer Repellents 
Homemade concoctions of rotten eggs or hair are messy and smelly. Plus, they don’t hold up for long outdoors.
However, there are commercial deer repellent products that take advantage of deer’s sensitive sense of smell to keep them away, but in a solution that is easy-to-use and requires less frequent reapplication.
The most effective deer repellent products don’t just target the deer’s sense of smell, they also target their highly developed sense of taste, using garlic and capsaicin. When the deer taste the solution, they will immediately sense an irritation and stop eating the treated plants.
Michelle Anderson contributed this guest post. Passionate about animal control, she likes writing about deer repellent and how to effectively use traps, like a groundhog trap.