If you have unwanted deer, rabbits or other animals browsing your garden and munching on your beloved plants and vegetables, there are plenty of solutions you could try to repel them. Here at Merrifield Garden Center, we recommend using a combination of plant selection, repellents and physical barriers to prevent animals and other critters from enjoying your garden.
To learn more about selecting plants that the deer, rabbits and other animals don’t enjoy, see our deer resources on the Blog.
At Merrifield Garden Center we recommend switching between different repellents every three or four applications as deer, rabbits and other critters will get used to any given product if it’s used continuously. We offer many different, effective options in both granular and liquid forms that deter animals by scent, taste or both.
In general, we recommend applying a granular product on top of the soil in containers or flower beds where you notice animals like squirrels or chipmunks digging around. Liquid and spray products are best used on plants that have been chewed and eaten by animals as the taste of the product will prevent them from continuing to munch. All of our repellent products are non-toxic to pets, wildlife and children.
Here are our tried and true brands and products that we carry for animal repelling purposes.
We carry Liquid Fence products in both granular and spray options, known as Liquid Fence® Deer & Rabbit Repellent Granular and Liquid Fence Deer & Rabbit Repellent Ready-To-Use spray. Liquid Fence products are made from putrescent whole eggs, garlic, sodium lauryl sulfate and thyme oil. While Liquid Fence is known to be one of our most reliable and long lasting products for animal control, it does have a strong scent. When applied, deer and rabbits will be repelled by the scent. It can be applied year-round and should be reapplied every 3 to 4 weeks and after heavy rainfall.
Bobbex products are best used to deter deer and rabbits from eating vegetation in your landscape. We carry 32 oz ready-to-use Bobbex spray as well as a concentrate option, which should be mixed with water as indicated on the product label. Bobbex is made from all natural, recycled ingredients, including putrescent eggs, fish meal, fish oil, meat meal, garlic, cloves, urea, epsom and more. These ingredients repel animals by both scent and taste. Like Liquid Fence, Bobbex is long lasting and reliable and also carries a strong scent.
Bobbex is effective at protecting trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, and fruit and vegetable plants before the flowers or edibles emerge. Avoid spraying Bobbex on developed fruits, vegetables and herbs. During spring and summer, we recommend spraying Bobbex on your plants every two to three weeks. During winter, plant growth slows, and there is less of a need for reapplication for most perennials and dormant plants. However, continue to apply Bobbex to evergreens like yews and arborvitae as the deer have fewer food sources in the winter and could choose to eat the evergreens. Bobbex does not stick well to wet surfaces and should be applied to dry plant material. It should also be applied when temperatures are below 85 degrees fahrenheit.
Bonide repellent products come in both granular and spray forms. They include all natural ingredients, such as white pepper, clove and garlic oil. These products have a milder scent in comparison to other brands, making it a preferred product for areas where there will be more foot traffic, like the entry of a home. Its ingredients repel animals by both smell and taste. This brand repels the broadest amount of animals and critters. It specializes in the following:
Mole Out: Effective for moles and voles around the landscape, particularly in lawns and flower beds. This product will last for up to 3 months before reapplication.
Go Away Deer and Rabbit Repellent & Go Away Rabbit, Cat and Dog Repellent: Granular in form, we recommend spreading this around the perimeter of your home and reapplying every two months.
The I Must Garden suite of repellent products includes both granular and liquid forms targeting specific animals, such as deer, squirrels, rabbits, moles, voles, snakes, groundhogs, mice, geese, dogs and cats. I Must Garden is one of our most inclusive brands that we carry at Merrifield Garden Center. These products include all natural ingredients, including dried blood, peppermint oil, lemongrass oil, garlic and more. This will deter animals by the scent specifically, making it especially effective on animals like deer and rabbits who will run away at the scent of blood as it mimics the scent of predators. You can reapply I Must Garden products every 2 to 4 weeks in the morning or evening.
Leg Up Enterprises bottles organic predator urine to use in the landscape to naturally deter many kinds of animals by scent. These products work by warning unwanted animals that predators are in the area. You can use coyote and fox urine to protect your yard from squirrels, rabbits and mice. To repel foxes, use the coyote urine. We carry 30-day predator urine dispensers that you can place within the branches of the plant you wish to protect from critters. You will need to replace the dispenser with a new one after 30 days.
We carry 32 oz Safer Brand Garden Deer & Rabbit Repellent in a convenient, ready-to-use liquid spray bottle. This spray includes ingredients, such as putrescent whole egg solids, capsaicin and garlic. The smell of egg solids resembles the scent of decaying prey that will deter deer and rabbits while the spicy garlic and pepper tastes unpleasant to browsing critters, such as chipmunks and squirrels. It is popular among customers as it does not emit a powerful smell to humans and it is fast acting and weather-resistant. It will provide 90 days of protection before reapplication.
Epic Deer Scram is a granular product that can be used to cover plants or entire garden or flower beds to protect the roots from being eaten or dug up by animals. Since Deer Scram is a granular product, it is safe to use on maturing edible plants, such as fruits, vegetables and herbs. This product includes ingredients, such as dried blood, white pepper, ground garlic and ground cloves. The blood, garlic and cloves will smell unpleasant to animals like deer while the taste of the white pepper will repel chipmunks and squirrels, causing their eyes and taste buds to burn. While the scent of this product is unfavorable to animals, it’s not unpleasant to humans. We recommend reapplying Deer Scram every month or after encountering heavy rain.
Everguard™ Deer and Rabbit Repellent is a liquid repellent that comes with a convenient trigger sprayer to use throughout your space on plants that you wish to protect from deer and rabbits specifically. It is made from putrescent whole egg solids, thyme oil, cinnamon oil, clove oil, sodium lauryl sulfate and garlic oil. Everguard is predominantly a scent deterrent as the egg solids, garlic and other oils emit a scent that is unappealing to animals.
We recommend applying Everguard when temperatures are below 90 degrees fahrenheit. On average, one application will last up to 6 weeks and it will stay put during rain and snow. During periods of heavy plant growth, we recommend reapplying weekly to the new growth.
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