Have you been battling unwanted garden pests? Do you want to know a few secret weapons to keep deer out of the garden for good?

For three years now deer have been camping out in the wooded area behind my home. The first year I was so pleased to be able to witness their beauty. But slowly they wore out their welcome as they ate their way through my yard like a gang of famished teenagers. There are many deer repellents on the market, but do any of them really work? Through the years I’ve tested many store bought and homemade deer repellent recipes and have found only a few truly work on my stubborn deer. I thought I’d share my successful picks with you.

Homemade Deer Repellent Remedies

These are easy to use and are the least expensive, so in your battle to save your garden, I recommend you start here. (Unfortunately, I have to report none worked on my deer!) Homemade repellents contain strong, perfume or spicy scents which are offensive to the deer's highly sensitive sense of smell. You can use Irish Spring soap, Bounce Fabric Softener or chili powder to name a few. Another method is to use predator scent, such as the territory markings of a dog or the use of dog or human hair. The final home remedy is a rotten egg or hot pepper spray, both of which render the plant snacks repulsive to the taste. You'll find many easy homemade deer repellent recipes online.

Taste & Smell Altering Sprays

If you don’t want to deal with the mess of making your own recipe, you can purchase ready made sprays that leave the plants stinky and distasteful to the deer. The sprays contain putrescent eggs for the scent and hot pepper for the flavor. Many gardeners say they have success with these sprays and you should, too, unless your deer are as determined as mine. I found after a few days of spraying, my deer developed the taste for spicy plants. There are two disadvantages with these sprays: the smell and the residue. You’ll notice the gag-worthy smell lasts a day and if you spray heavily, you’ll have a white residue on the plant leaves.

Finally, Two Gadgets that Worked

I did find two products that have helped tremendously. The first is a small, inexpensive solar powered laser that seems to frighten the deer. At night it shoots out a red beam across the yard similar to a high tech security system. The deer sense a predator and scram. I move my laser gadget to different sections of the yard to keep the deer guessing.

The second gadget is a motion sensitive sprinkler that senses the deer from many feet away and shoots a quick burst of water in their direction. The random shots of water really spook the deer. I've used this for the entire summer and for the very first time, my flowers are growing back. I was hesitant to purchase this because I didn’t want to waste water, but I’ve discovered it’s very efficient.

I still have deer visitors but they do mind their manners and stay out of the laser and sprinkler vicinity. They seem to be afraid to enter that portion of my yard even when the sprinkler isn’t turned on. So, after a struggle of nearly 3 years and many, many experiments, I’ve finally found a way to keep those pesky deer away from the plants.

In the battle to keep deer out of the garden, try using simple inexpensive home remedies first. If you don't have success with those, try a combination attack with the ready made sprays, along with the laser and the motion sensitive sprinkler. If these gadgets worked on my stubborn pests, they'll surely help you too.