Deer may be lovely to see running across a field or grazing in a forest, but not once they start helping themselves to your plants. There are many products and sprays on the market that can help prevent them from destroying your lawn, trees, and garden. If you’re more comfortable knowing what goes into your products, there are several ways to make DIY deer repellent.

DIY Deer Repellent Recipes

For a more natural route to keeping deer away from your yard, try any of these formulas with ingredients you can find around your home that omit smells known to repel deer.

Hot Garlic Eggs:

• 3 tablespoons hot sauce
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 eggs

Blend together. Mix with water in spray bottle. Apply to plants.

Hot Spicy Soap:

• 4 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup clear ammonia
• 3 heads of garlic, peeled
• 1 cup oil soap

Mix together the cayenne pepper and white vinegar. Boil for one minute. Strain mixture through a coffee filter. Blend together garlic and water, then strain the mixture through a second coffee filter. Combine both strained mixtures, ammonia, and oil soap, and add the liquid to about two gallons of water. Spray on your plants.

Breakfast Repellent

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon of dish soap
• 1 tablespoon of cooking oil

Blend all ingredients together, then add to gallon of water and spray on your plants.

Creamy Clove Repellent

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon dish soap
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon cooking oil
• 20 drops clove oil

Add all ingredients to gallon of water and shake well. Spray on your plants.

Powderd Eggs

•  egg yolk
•  tablespoon baking powder
•  liter of water

Blend all ingredients together and spray on plants.

Spicy Dairy Diet

• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons milk or yogurt
• 3 crushed garlic clove
• 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• Gallon of warm water

Blend eggs, milk/yogurt, garlic, and cayenne pepper along with two to three cups of water. Strain into a gallon jug, add the remaining water, seal, and spray on plants.

Deer Repellent Tips

While any of these homemade deer repellents can be used immediately, they will be more potent if left to ripen at room temperature for 24 hours. It will stink, that’s the point.

When you’re ready to spray your plants, make sure it’s dry and you spray the entire plant—leaves, stems, fruits, and all. The recipes won’t harm your foliage, and the odor should go away once the spray dries, but it will still be unpleasant to those trying to eat it. If a bite is taken, the spicy pepper gives off a burning warning.

After spraying your garden, pour any remaining mixture back into a sealable jug for storage. As the eggs and milk continue to rot, it will get even more potent! Reapply the repellent weekly and after any rainfall. Once you make your yard unappetizing, deer are more likely to find somewhere else to eat.

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