Help – Keeping deer and Rabbits away from Plants and flowers.

My wife has a flower garden in our back yard. Until the last week or so the Deer and or Rabbits had not bothered it at all. In the last week they have ate most of the hosta’s ( Not a big deal ) But now they are eating her Dragon Wing Begonia’s and other begonia’s. She says kill them all. The problem is I live in the city and Have a State patrol officer who lives across the street. I dont think either would take kindly to me pulling out the 270 WSM and knocking off the Deer and Rabbits. Do any of the chemicals or electronic devise’s work. I better figure out something soon, or my wife is likely to load up and start blasting away.

I put Irish Spring soap bars around my garden and that helps keep the rabbits and deer away for me. I see a ton of rabbits in my backyard as well so it seems to be keeping them away.

not real sure how well it works but there are all kinds of bottle sprays at big box stores that claim to keep deer and rabbits away!

i’ve also hear planting marigolds around will help, they dont like the scent of marigolds.

i’ve also heard get human hair from a barber shop and throw that around????? i dont have deer issues living in town, but rabbits i put a fence up around the garden.

i was told to use cayanne pepper…..but everytime i did it rained.

The rabbit and deer repellant spray does work but as soon as you spray it you will know why. If you wanna sit out back and enjoy them i would find a different solution.

Liquid Fence spray has worked for me. Just have to apply every other week or so. It smells awful when wet. Reminds me that I’m due for an application.

You could make your own. Put about 2 dozen eggs in a 5 gallon bucket with a limit or 2 worth of fish guts. Set out in sun 3 or 4 days then strain off the liquid and spray it. Thats exactly what it smells like.

How big is the garden area? Like someone said, a fence of some sort (chicken wire) is probably the only guaranteed solution that will work. Not the most aesthetically pleasing though..

Milorganite, all my wife will use. Keeps her Hosta’s safe.

My cats keep all those varmints away. The ones that test the cats patients don’t win in the end

glenn57 wrote:

not real sure how well it works but there are all kinds of bottle sprays at big box stores that claim to keep deer and rabbits away!

i’ve also hear planting marigolds around will help, they dont like the scent of marigolds.

i’ve also heard get human hair from a barber shop and throw that around????? i dont have deer issues living in town, but rabbits i put a fence up around the garden.74

I have same problem
Milorganite has “helped” no cure
Have used human hair, mothballs, peed in the gardens, radio, x mas lites – all to varying degrees but none “worked” ( mothballs are nasty besides)
The stoire bought ones work for a while but are spendy and gone as soon as it rains.
I nail em with a pellet gun – kills the bunnies and pisses off the deer – f em

i was told to use cayanne pepper…..but everytime i did it rained.

They ate my marigolds down to the roots the same night I planted them

We had a renter once that worked at the MN zoo. He gave us some wolf scat to spread around the garden, it kept all the critters out of the garden for a couple months.

JEREMY wrote:

You could make your own. Put about 2 dozen eggs in a 5 gallon bucket with a limit or 2 worth of fish guts. Set out in sun 3 or 4 days then strain off the liquid and spray it. Thats exactly what it smells like.

This got a real lol! Never tried it and now probably won’t ever. Thanks

Yea I can verify milorganite works good for a deer repellent. Also good fertilizer.

For 20+ years:

Liquid fence for the plants around the house – has worked 99% of the time.

Electric fence around garden and apple trees – has worked 100% of the time.

Where I live it’s one simple noise

POW!

Motion activated water sprayer. Waters garden too.

http://www.amazon.com/PierTech%C2%AE-Activated-Functionality-Activation-Irrigation/dp/B00X5C1MCK/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=water+spray+for+deer+control&qid=1624047450&sr=8-6

-J.

22 short shell works for me in my city home.

bigcrappie wrote:

22 short shell works for me in my city home.

X2. Cb subsonic shorts. More quiet than my Benjamin pellet gun.

A bit off topic but are there any Hostas that deer don’t think are candy?
I’d like to put some in at the cabin.

EP just the dead dried up ones.I got some i would ship to you for free.

A pellet rifle with a suppressor is very quiet. It literally sounds like someone cracking open a beer or soda can. It probably won’t do much on a deer, but it will take out a rabbit with ease.

I went with the Liquid Fence. It seems to have worked well so far. Just my luck. Weeks without rain and a few days after this goes down we get some. Will probably retreat again this evening. Looks like no rain in the forecast anytime soon.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

A bit off topic but are there any Hostas that deer don’t think are candy?
I’d like to put some in at the cabin.

Our cabin hostas get creamed. Liquid fence seems to work if we spray them every weekend. Missed one and one hosta gone along with our wild geraniums.

suzuki wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Eelpoutguy wrote:</div>
A bit off topic but are there any Hostas that deer don’t think are candy?
I’d like to put some in at the cabin.

Our cabin hostas get creamed. Liquid fence seems to work if we spray them every weekend. Missed one and one hosta gone along with our wild geraniums.

we had that happen one year at the cabin to, but then nothing since.

180 Degree reverse from intention of topic, but it sounds like hostas are deer magnets. My daughter has ****loads of them and could easily be thinned. I think I’ll transplantsome to my deer hunting plot and isolate them with grow cages… Till deer season.

fishthumper wrote:

I went with the Liquid Fence. It seems to have worked well so far. Just my luck. Weeks without rain and a few days after this goes down we get some.

I’ve actually found that it survives a couple of rainfalls. Your mileage may vary.

castle-rock-clown wrote:

June 21, 2021 at 8:17 pm#2043957
180 Degree reverse from intention of topic, but it sounds like hostas are deer magnets. My daughter has ****loads of them and could easily be thinned. I think I’ll transplantsome to my deer hunting plot and isolate them with grow cages… Till deer season.

I would do it. they will get eaten and nice thing is they will always come back