The 10 Best Deer Repellents

For a spray that needs no mixing, Liquid Fence Deer & Rabbit comes ready to go in a jug with its own trigger sprayer. Its rotten-egg and garlic blend repels by smell, so deer back off before they take a bite. Once dry, it holds up to light rain, and the label asks for a second coat after a week, then one a month. The catch is the odor, strong until it dries.

Deer Out Concentrate suits gardeners who can't stand the rotten-egg smell. Peppermint leads its mix of garlic, white pepper and egg solids, so a sprayed bed smells minty instead of foul, and the label clears it for vegetable gardens and fruit trees. One bottle mixes into about two and a half gallons, which goes a long way in a big yard. You'll need a pump sprayer, and the maker's long-lasting claims haven't been checked by anyone else.

For flower beds that deer raid every year, Bobbex Deer Repellent stacks rotten egg, garlic, clove and fish so deer get a bad smell and a bad taste. Once dry, it stays put through rain. The label calls for a coat every week or two while plants grow, then much less often once they go dormant. It is a concentrate you mix in a pump sprayer, it smells fishy for a day, and it is not for food crops.

Deer Scram skips spraying altogether. You shake the granules in a band around beds, shrubs and young trees, and the scent keeps deer from wandering in. Nothing sits on the leaves, so rain can't rinse it off them and it's handy near plants you plan to eat. Expect to spread it again about once a month. A shaker only rings a modest border, and dogs may nose at the granules, so keep pets off until they settle.

Young trees and shrubs that deer chew all winter are where Plantskydd earns its place. The maker says it was the first animal repellent listed for organic use. Its dried-blood formula bonds to bark and leaves within a day, then shrugs off rain. Spray new growth every few weeks in summer; once dormant, a coat in fall and another before snow carry plants through. It smells strong while wet, and a quart treats only about a hundred small plants.

I Must Garden Mint trades the barnyard smell for peppermint and lemongrass, so you can spray it beside a doorway without regret. Kelp in the blend feeds the leaves, and sticking agents help it hold through an average rain, the maker says. It comes ready to spray and is sold as safe around people, pets and vegetables. The label asks for weekly sprays for the first few weeks, then monthly touch-ups, and stock runs thin at times.

On a tight budget, Bonide Repels-All handles spot jobs and covers more than deer: rabbits, squirrels and voles are on the label too. It comes ready to spray, and Bonide says one coat can last up to two months. Spray on a mild, dry day and give it several hours before rain so it can set. The smell is earthy and strong for a while, and results are mixed where deer are numerous and hungry.

Deer Stopper costs little, so it's a low-risk first try for a small bed. Mint and rosemary oils give it a pleasant smell, and Messina, the maker, guarantees each coat for 30 days, rain or shine. It's sold as safe around pets and vegetable gardens. Little outside evidence shows how it holds up when deer are desperate, and a quart runs out fast on a hedge. A cinnamon-and-clove version, Deer Stopper II, lets you switch scents.

Some gardeners would rather scare deer than spray plants, and the Havahart Critter Ridder sprinkler does that. An infrared sensor spots movement, and a burst of water sends the animal running. It hooks to a garden hose and runs on two AA batteries, bought separately, with sensitivity settings to cut false alarms. It carries a two-year warranty. Deer can learn it's harmless, and it has to come inside before freezing nights.

Swapping batteries is the chore the Hoont Cobra avoids, since a small solar panel keeps its rechargeable cells topped up. When its motion sensor sees an animal, it fires a few seconds of water, and a clicking sound adds to the scare. A ground stake and a quick hose connector come in the box. It needs a sunny spot to stay charged, deer may stop caring after a while, and frost can crack it, so drain it for winter.