A New Use for Leftover Soap

[Innkeep]

One of my cousins has a wonderful green thumb, but is tired of sharing the bounty of her garden with the deers and raccoons. She read that one possible way to repel the critters is to put lots of bars of soap right in the garden. She's trying it out with some of my fine bathroom amenities!

 

[swirt]

Good one. ANd if it rains, you get your veggies washed for you.

 

[egoodell]

I hate to tell you this but I heard the same thing and tried it at our vineyard. Got twice the deer when the soap was out. What works for me is the Deer Away or whatever it's called at Lowes.
RIki

 

[EmptyNest]

Another one of those "old wives tales"..though some gardeners will tell you it works...but it has to be IRISH SPRING Soap

 

[Proud Texan]

Doesn't work.

If you try it, make sure the stuff is biodegradable or you'll have a greasy mess on your hands.
We did finally find something that does work. It's called Deer Scram. It's made up of powdered hot peppers. We had a beautiful stand of flowers and vines in front of one of our cottages. We looked out one morning and three does were helping themselves to breakfast. Ate it to the ground! After applying Deer Scram, everything has grown back and the deer have left it alone.
Now, If we can only get the damn armadillos under control. Our property is a mix of sugar sand and red clay that gets hard as a rock. So, when the armadillos find a nicely tilled compost enriched moistened flower bed, they go to town looking for grubs. We have had some success with a low fence in some areas, but now we think they're hurling themselves off the back porch to gain access to our herb garden.

 

[One Day]

A catch 22 remedy........" Dried Blood"
Horticultural dried blood........will deter deer, rabbits and such.........and it is nitrogen for the plants.
The flip would be.......it may attract preditor animals
Wolf urine....this can be purchased...try online...seen it in some trade catalogues
Hot pepper......flakes, powder..........or brew a hot pepper tea, spray onto foliage......the tea will also help with chewing insects
I had read at another forum......a person in the midwest, would spread his own urine......said it worked

 

[Red Handed Jill]

A catch 22 remedy........" Dried Blood"
Horticultural dried blood........will deter deer, rabbits and such.........and it is nitrogen for the plants.
The flip would be.......it may attract preditor animals
Wolf urine....this can be purchased...try online...seen it in some trade catalogues
Hot pepper......flakes, powder..........or brew a hot pepper tea, spray onto foliage......the tea will also help with chewing insects
I had read at another forum......a person in the midwest, would spread his own urine......said it worked.

A catch 22 remedy........" Dried Blood"
Horticultural dried blood........will deter deer, rabbits and such.........and it is nitrogen for the plants.
The flip would be.......it may attract preditor animals

I've had success putting off armadillos with blood meal - I read armadillos have especially sensitive sense of smell. I tried it and they DON'T like blood meal. You'd have to assess the predator (or stray dog) issue, tho.

 

[ceecee]

Soap did not work here for deer. But I do put the used bars up on the fence and the neighbor cats have stopped walking the cross pieces. They don't poop in my vegetables any more.
I am no longer a deer lover. Sorry but they just are too destructive. I would shoot at them with a nice pellet gun if I did not live in town!! I doubt it would be good advertising to be arrested for shooting deer.
Cougar pee works pretty good. I augment it with hot pepper spray and scarecrows. Unfortunately I lost a blueberry bush, just ready to harvest, 2 days ago to those pesky deer! They ate most every berry, knocked a few to the ground.