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Does your garden have a deer problem? These pesky creatures love to eat your tomatoes, carrots and greens that you worked hard to grow. They don’t discriminate, as they adore flowers, too. Fortunately, you can use natural DIY methods to keep deer away from your garden. As a result, you’ll be able to live harmoniously. Try a deer repellent recipe to protect your garden. Take a look.
1. Hot Sauce Repellent
It’s known that deer don’t like how hot sauce smells or tastes. This mixture works for other pests, as well. It won’t harm your plants, and it’s quick and easy to make. You’ll need:
- A few dashes of hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon dish soap
- 2 cups water
You can use any hot sauce in your kitchen. Combine a few drops with soap and water in a spray bottle. It’s best to start small so that you add too much hot sauce. Feel free to play around with ratios until you find one that works for your situation. The soap will act as a surfactant to ensure your mixture binds appropriately.
You should spray your repellent throughout your garden for maximum effectiveness. If you plan to eat specific plants, you need to avoid their edible parts so that their taste stays the same.
2. Soap Bar Repellent
A soap bar will keep deer away with its strong scent. This recipe requires only soap bars, so it’s a terrific alternative for plants you plan to eat. You’ll cut them into pieces before you use a bag or sock to hang your soap bar shards onto posts around your garden. The smell will permeate throughout the area so that deer avoid your prized plants.
Try to choose soap bars with intense scents. You want to be as bold as possible to keep deer at bay. This remedy won’t touch your plants, so you don’t have to avoid certain ingredients. Pick any heavy odor that you think will make a difference.
3. Essential Oil Repellent
It’s smart to use more pleasant smells for deer repellent if you have plants near your windows. An essential oil mixture should perform well. You’ll want to check whether you can use these products without issues, as you may be allergic. They can be harmful if you’re pregnant, too. In any case, you’ll need:
- 10 drops of essential oil
- 1 cup white vinegar
Use a spray bottle to disperse your repellent throughout your garden. Deer won’t like the smell or taste, and you’ll be able to enjoy healthy plants. Be sure to avoid any edible parts so that you don’t consume your mixture.
4. Cayenne Pepper Repellent
Remember that deer don’t like spicy scents or tastes. In fact, you’ll find that deer hardly eat pepper plants due to their distaste for them. If you don’t have hot sauce, you can use cayenne pepper instead. Gardeners often use pepper spray to deter pests. There’s a similar approach at play with cayenne pepper. You’ll need:
- 5 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup white vinegar
The cayenne pepper may clog your spray bottle’s nozzle, so it’s helpful to boil your brew beforehand. This way, your repellant will be strong enough to deter pests, but you won’t have to deal with any clogs. Be sure to strain your concoction afterward to create a non-gritty liquid.
5. Egg Yolk Repellent
It’s no secret that eggs offer a particularly foul smell when they’re spoiled. They’re ideal for a deer repellent recipe as a result. Plus, they’ll likely keep humans away from your plants, as well. You should use eggs on anything you won’t eat because your plants won’t be easy to clean afterward. You’ll need:
- 3 chicken eggs
- 1 gallon water
Blend your eggs with some water to create a liquidy substance. Pour your mixture into your water. Then, you can use a strainer to refine your repellant so that it’s sprayable. Then, you should spray your plants like usual.
Use a Deer Repellent Recipe to Protect Your Garden
If you use a spray, you should remember to reapply it every two weeks. In any case, you can use a deer repellent recipe to keep your plants healthy and strong. These ideas will save your hard work from animals, insects — and even humans!