Deer Repellent

Hi All, We are probably gonna be putting in 8 - 10 Thuja Green Giant shrubs/trees for some privacy. We on occasion are visited by a few deer from time to time so we don't want to sit and watch them devour $500 worth of plants. What are the best sprays that can be put directly on the trees that will work best for deer repelling ? I know when they get hungry enough they can/will eat darn near anything, but we at least want to try and we want to try the stuff that works best......Thanks

 

I don't know if one repellent is better than another but they do need to be applied liberally and often.

 

Typically, re-application is required after every rain.

 

You might look into something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Activated-Mot...ctor+sprinkler They work day and night. My neighbor uses one to keep bears out of his garbage cans with very good success.

 

Are there any brand names that stand out as far as people having success with ??

 

Well, a little reading and it seems your selection is probably about the best choice you could make, deer apparently don't like the green giant.
Thuja Green Giant and Deer ? Thuja Green Giant

Bud

 

Yea....thats what our research seemed to imply also. The "experts" seem to suggest that they may only bother the green giants when there is absolute nothing else on the menu as in during heavy snow cover and no other greenery....etc. Thats why we're gonna at least give them a try. We don't want to spend too much $$$ and every evening from dusk to dawn worrying about those little "B@#$%&@S" (LOL) chowing down and while we are willing to spray every now and then to help deter them, we don't want to start going down the long list of home grown remedies and/or sitting on our deck with my Ruger 270 for 12 hours a day...LOL. With that being said....has anyone heard of what brand of spray may get the best results ?? Sounds like a brand called "Deer Out" gets good results......anyone used it? Thanks Again !!!!

 

We have apple and pear trees in our yard so we get a lot of deer - usually 8-10 daily. Through the winter we ground feed birds and the deer also chow down on that. We gave up after the deer finished off our "deer resistant" rhodies, hollys and yuccas that we've had for many years.

However, there are solutions. Just a few very effective deer repellent brand names -

Winchester
Remington
Ruger
Savage
Marlin
and many more.

 

I know my local gun shop tends to be the go to place for deer information and I've seen repellents there, so that might give you a start. Just thinking out loud, but if sprays are only needed at certain times of the year you might plant a few sacrificial shrubs to act as indicators that the deer are moving in.

Your state fish and game department must also have some experience with this.

Bud

 

Guess you are going to prune to 10 feed tall.....as it might grow to 40 foot, eventually....and 10 foot wide. Why not cover with bird netting made for fruit trees ? I have some 7' x 20', 3/4 inch mesh from Bird-X. Maybe $4 or so, I forgot. Almost invisible.

I am guessing you bought 5 or 7 gallon shrubs. You can cover for a few years and see.....

 

Yes we plan on the 5 gallon ones when the get them in, Our property has about 20 - 30 feet of "WOODS" in back after the grass. They are developing all around us, but haven't gotten behind us yet. Not sure if theres enough room for building or not....pretty hilly. But ain't taken no chances. So just trying to get a head start with something that will grow tall...thick...and fast. So bring that 10 foot wide and 40 foot tall on and the quicker the better because we ain't gettun no younger so we don't have a lot of time to wait around for trees to fill out and we ain't moving....(I hope)....LOL.

 

Are the deer soo "suburban" that people and pets no longer startle them?
In that case, you might need a motion activated light, or sound.

Otherwise, the best deer repellant is usually a dog in the yard.
Second best is a neighbors dog that marks a boundary around the trees.
Third best is a homeowner that drink lots of coffee, eats asparagus, and marks a boundary around the trees.

 

LOL....I can appreciate your thoughts. I dunno what the deers problems are these days. maybe they got their own social media network. But we ain't gettun no dog....if we did my wife would pamper it so much by feeding it everything in sight that a chihuahua would weigh 100 lbs and wouldn't be able to even make it outside, much less scare the deer off. And as far as me going out and "Marking" the territory, i'm afraid if I tried that at my age I may not get my leg back in place....besides....I hate asparagus !!!!..LOLOL.