Your beautiful backyard may be appealing to more than just your family. Deer may also want to visit to snack on your garden, trees, and grass. There are many forms of natural deer repellents. From barriers to botanical sprays, you don’t need a lot of chemicals to help keep deer away.

Natural Deer Repellent Barriers

Create a barrier between deer and your yard and they’re less likely to stop by for breakfast—even if they can get through if they really want to. The ideal fence is about eight feet high, and can be made from wood, wire, or other types of fencing, but it should span the entire area you want to protect. You can also make a barrier with deer repellent plants like marigolds, lavender, and wildflowers around the perimeter of your garden.

Set up some motion-activated defense with sensored lights and sounds. If deer get a cold blast of water, ear full of noise, or flashes of light they may think twice about revisiting the area. Try placing wind chimes, tin cans, scarves, or a scarecrow near your plants to help deter deer.

Cover small trees and bushes with netting. This allows sun and rain to get through, but keeps the deer away.

Natural Deer Repellent Sprays

There are many ingredients you can spray, dust, or set around plants to ward off deer. Some of these turn deer off by smell, others by taste, but you should check to make sure any of the following won’t harm the plants—especially if you plan on eating it later—before you use these repellents.

• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Basil
• Peppermint oil
• Deodorant soap
• Eggs
• Garlic powder
• Red or cayenne pepper
• Cumin
• Hot sauce
• Blood meal
• Human hair
• Human or animal urine

The frequency of application depends on the time of year, amount of rain you get, and how big of a problem you have. It could range from every couple of days to a few times a month.

Deer have also been known to get used to certain repellents, so it’s best to change things up every now and then and rotate their use. No matter what method you choose, it’s easier to deter deer before the herd has decided that your backyard is the best dining spot in town, so start early in the season to help save your yard.

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