I looked out my back door one morning last year, and realized that I could see my propane tank.
It wasn’t that my eyesight had improved during the night, but rather that a bunch of munching deer had eaten all the leaves off the Photinia shrub that had, up until then, beautifully blocked my view of the unsightly thing.
(The deer in this photo is not the guilty party, but I’m sure you’ve seen his kind lurking around your garden from time to time.)
Now, there was nothing left but a tangle of branches, and the few leaves that had survived the reach of the marauding ungulates.
After a quick search of the Internet, I found a recipe that the author claimed would spare my Photinia, and other plants of which I was quite fond, from suffering a similar fate.
It sounded rather disgusting, and upon completion of the process, smelled even worse. Perhaps that’s why my propane tank has faded back into the foliage, and my flower garden survived the summer unscathed, and uneaten. Be brave and hold your nose.
(This is the actual photo of my actual Photinia several months after using this actually icky stuff).
Deer Repellent
Ingredients:
• 3 eggs
• 3 Tbsp hot sauce
• 1 tsp dish soap
• 1/2 c milk
• pinch cayenne pepper
• empty milk jug with top
• blender
• empty spray bottle
Step 1
Mix the following ingredients in a blender: eggs, hot sauce, dish soap, milk and cayenne pepper.
Step 2
Pour mixture into an empty milk gallon container. Add water to fill container and replace the jug top. Shake jug a little bit, then let the homemade deer repellent recipe sit and “cure” for a few days (I put mine in the very warm garage).
Step 3
Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and apply on plants. Reapply after it rains. (That should be no problem for a while!)
Okay, this stuff lent an unpleasant aroma to my surroundings for a day or so after I applied it. But it also encouraged the deer to search elsewhere for a buffet.
The Photinias are thriving, and the petunias are in bloom. I wouldn’t spray this stuff on anything you plan on eating!
I would also advise you to wash your hands thoroughly after applying, or be prepared for sidelong glances and raised eyebrows.
A tip from SNO Facebook fan Vivie Puhn Moulton – Don’t forget to strain the mixture before putting it in a spray bottle…. otherwise those little egg umbilical cords will clog your sprayer… also the more hot sauce the less egg smell.
I personally think the egg smell works wonders! Also, I did not strain it, and my sprayer worked fine. Guess it depends on how fine the mist is. I used an empty Febreze bottle.
