DEER AND DAYLILIES
Deer are a major problem in many parts of the Connecticut. It can be difficult to deter
them once their feeding patterns are established. One product I have used with success
is Milorganite. It is a slow release fertilizer which daylilies like.I put it down in spring
and fall. You can find it at most garden centers.
Another product called "Deer Scram" has had a high degree of success.In fact,the
supplier guarantees it will work or the manufacturer will refund your money!It is
harmless to pets and acts like a mild fertilizer. It needs to be applied in an 18" swath
around the area you want to protect. It needs to be re-applied every 45 days or so or
after a severe rain storm. It also deters rabbits. It is made from deer renderings and
works on a different premise than other products that taste bad. It invokes a fear
response in the deer who think there is a dead deer in the area and they leave to eat
your neighbor's plants.I sold it to several customers in the summer of 2005 who swear
by it.
In the past we recommended a repellent to deter deer in an effort to help this
situation,based on a recipe a daylily enthusiast in the mid-west came up with. This
mixture is all natural, systemic,not harmful to the environment, and may need to be
applied only 2-3 times per year. Its primary ingredients are habanero peppers and rotten
eggs.
Deer will eat anything if they are hungry enough but this is worth a try. We call it "Not
Tonight Deer".Our initial reports on its use from a dozen or so users have been
favorable.
RECIPE FOR "NOT TONIGHT DEER"
1 bottle of habanero sauce, 6 eggs, crushed or fresh garlic,
1/4 c. olive oil as a surfactant.
Liquidefy in blender, food processor or Vitamix. Add enough water to equal one quart
and mix thoroughly. Strain several times. Let it steep for a couple of weeks so the eggs
can rot.
Strain again before using because the eggs seem to want to solidify. Use one cup of this
mixture to a gallon of water in your sprayer and saturate each leaf. I have been told
that it is a systemic so if the smell doesn't deter the deer after a few weeks, the taste
sure will. I recommend to use this in the spring and fall along with Milorganite.
Thanks to Roberta Bohach of Illinois for sharing this info.