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Deer Repellent

Posted: June 8th, 2021, 9:17 pm
by pristinegreen75
Anyone have a better deer repellent? I have been using Liquid Fence and a homemade one of mine. I like to rotate. The Liquid fence works well but the other day I awoke to half of my yellow trumpet lily buds gone.( I was both sad and very PO'd!!! My own concoction doesn't seem to work anymore. Does anyone have a recipe that works fairly well? (other than a fence). I have tried some of the online ones with very limited success. I realize if they really want to eat them they will regardless. But damn! :banghead: :banghead: Thanks guys

Re: Deer Repellent

Posted: June 8th, 2021, 9:45 pm
by andy10917
I use Liquid Fence and it works very well. I have pretty successfully extended the effective life of applications of Liquid Fence by an extra 2-3 weeks by adding Nu-Film P, which forms a film that prevents it from washing off easily. With 700 hostas, it takes quite a while to treat them all. BTW, I also buy the Liquid Fence by the gallon (not quarts).

But you mentioned a critical point, and it may explain your problem. I've seen it myself.

I've seen that deer will hit the Daylilies, but only the buds/blooms. It's simple. The flower shoots aren't covered by the Liquid Fence because the shoots form and grow very quickly (days!) and they where never treated. No treatment, no protection!

BTW, I'm again playing with a new base-ingredient for a DIY repellent (mostly because a gallon of Liquid Fence is $100). So far, so good...

Re: Deer Repellent

Posted: June 9th, 2021, 12:03 am
by MorpheusPA
I make my own that works well enough for me. Again, as noted, new growth has to be treated, and during bud development, that happens fast...

In 1 gallon water:

1 Tbsp Tabasco sauce (step it up if you still have a problem)
1 tsp any dish soap (helps it stick)
1/2 tsp white glue (helps it stick, also tastes terrible)

Reapply after major rainfalls. Also repels rabbits and any other herbivore. Try to stay upwind when spraying, the fine spray is pretty noxious.

Re: Deer Repellent

Posted: June 9th, 2021, 9:10 pm
by pristinegreen75
MorpheusPA wrote:
June 9th, 2021, 12:03 am
I make my own that works well enough for me. Again, as noted, new growth has to be treated, and during bud development, that happens fast...

In 1 gallon water:

1 Tbsp Tabasco sauce (step it up if you still have a problem)
1 tsp any dish soap (helps it stick)
1/2 tsp white glue (helps it stick, also tastes terrible)

Reapply after major rainfalls. Also repels rabbits and any other herbivore. Try to stay upwind when spraying, the fine spray is pretty noxious.
Thanks Morph, as both you and Andy mentioned about the buds not being protected. Never dawned on me. Such a logical explanation. My homemade uses Franks hot sauce, eggs, garlic and a little spreader sticker. Will add the white glue next batch. I have used Liquid Fence for years and it works very well on my Hostas....(yeah its pricey). Thankfully I don't have to spend as much as Andy!! Will get the Nu Film-p for the next batch of that as well. Thanks again guys!

Re: Deer Repellent

Posted: June 9th, 2021, 9:22 pm
by andy10917
PS: I have no problems with people maintaining personal space after spraying 4 gallons of Liquid Fence.

Re: Deer Repellent

Posted: June 9th, 2021, 9:42 pm
by MorpheusPA
andy10917 wrote:
June 9th, 2021, 9:22 pm
PS: I have no problems with people maintaining personal space after spraying 4 gallons of Liquid Fence.
I have no problems with people developing their own personal planets after spraying 4 gallons of Liquid Fence.

My stuff leaves little residual scent on the person spraying, but you might smell a bit like Mexican food.

Re: Deer Repellent

Posted: June 11th, 2021, 8:05 am
by pristinegreen75
MorpheusPA wrote:
June 9th, 2021, 9:42 pm
andy10917 wrote:
June 9th, 2021, 9:22 pm
PS: I have no problems with people maintaining personal space after spraying 4 gallons of Liquid Fence.
I have no problems with people developing their own personal planets after spraying 4 gallons of Liquid Fence.

My stuff leaves little residual scent on the person spraying, but you might smell a bit like Mexican food.
My other half actually thinks I am from another planet and I like Mex food :good:

Re: Deer Repellent

Posted: June 11th, 2021, 4:43 pm
by MorpheusPA
I'm currently painting another planet and like Mexicans?

Re: Deer Repellent

Posted: June 12th, 2021, 1:38 am
by bpgreen
This thread reminds me that I need to mix up a batch of repels all to keep the voles from nesting.

They still visit, but they don't stay. Repels alm ingredients include garlic, rotten eggs, and clove. Maybe a few other things. It smells bad when I'm applying it, but I don't notice it after that (but I have a poor sense of smell, sui maybe it reeks for weeks).

I'm not sure if it would keep deer from munching on plants or not. It swings to be aimed more st keeping critters fron seeing up living quarters.

Re: Deer Repellent

Posted: July 16th, 2021, 11:29 am
by pristinegreen75
I just mixed up a new batch last week. The deer still cleared off the buds of my Volcano Phlox. Damn! The only thing I did was add a additional tblspn of Franks Hot Sauce and 1 more tblspn of Minced garlic. Some of the Gazania leaves turned white and the Cosmos foliage browned out. Thinking maybe the capsaicin from the hot sauce burned them? Maybe I will just go back to straight Liquid Fence. I am trying to rotate the different smells and tastes.

Re: Deer Repellent

Posted: July 16th, 2021, 5:01 pm
by bolson32
Do you think wood glue would be a suitable replacement instead of white glue? I wanna mix up a jug of this for my new poplars that I noticed the deer are munching on.

Re: Deer Repellent

Posted: July 16th, 2021, 5:25 pm
by andy10917
The last time I checked, we were a little short on glue experts - I don't know if I'd trust an answer to your question.

The right stuff is pretty much universally available - hell, you can even buy it in grocery stores sometimes.

Re: Deer Repellent

Posted: July 16th, 2021, 8:31 pm
by bolson32
Lol fair. I'll get some of the good stuff.

Re: Deer Repellent

Posted: July 17th, 2021, 12:33 pm
by MorpheusPA
Agreed. I know that white glue works, it's cheap at the dollar store, and you can literally find it at any store if you have to, including the local drug store. I don't know what's in wood glue.

Re: Deer Repellent

Posted: July 17th, 2021, 2:07 pm
by pristinegreen75
Agreed also. Think i will stick Liquid fence most of the time. Maybe tinker a little bit her and there with y own