How Natural Animal Repellents Protect Your Plants
For all wild animals, staying safe is life’s number one priority. Little else matters when you are worried about becoming someone’s lunch. Many natural animal repellents work because of this basic survival instinct. When in doubt or when something is unfamiliar, animals move on quickly.
​
Most wild animals that wander into our yards and gardens are creatures of habit; this is true of deer, rabbits, squirrels, gophers, mice and moles. This is also the case with uninvited neighborhood dogs and cats that are allowed to roam. Once these animals learn that your garden has something going on that they find unpleasant – either taste or smell – they will move on. With continued use, the natural repellents are remarkably effective at keeping new and existing animals away from your garden by making it an unpleasant or seemingly unsafe place for them to hang out.
​
Predator Scents
“What’s that? Smells like a coyote. I’m outta here!”
For prey animals, the scent of a predator – fox, coyote or similar hunter – elicits a primal flight reaction. Rabbits, deer, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, and other small mammals react to these smells with an immediate desire to be elsewhere. Some scent-based natural animal repellents even work on domestic cats and dogs by mimicking the scent made by unwelcome predators. Our Shake Away Deer and Shake Away Small Critter use predator scents.
Foul Scents
Odors that people don’t mind or may even enjoy can be offensive to animals’ noses. Spicy and medicinal oils like citronella, clove, cinnamon, garlic and citrus fall into this category. Other scents that are barely detectable for human noses – like dried blood – are also effective animal deterrents. Check out Dog & Cat Repellent and All Natural Squirrel Repellent.
Bad Tastes
Similarly, bitter, hot and similarly unpleasant tastes encourage animals to forage elsewhere. Even not-so-bright brains react to a mouthful of super-hot pepper sauce and cue an animal to stay away. Castor oil, paprika and mustard oil are examples of unpalatable flavors used in natural animal repellents. For repellents with undesirable taste, choose Hot Pepper Wax, Mole & Vole Repellent, and Mole Max.
Nasty Feel and Barriers
Odd textures or barriers prevent or stop animals from coming into contact with your plants. Netting or fencing "walls off" vegetable gardens, fruit plants and even landscaping preventing browsing. Plastic or metal spikes do not harm animals and birs but prompt them to leave when touched by noses or feet. Our DeerX Protective Fencing and BirdX Protective Netting are very effective barriers. Repells-All uses smell, taste and touch to deter unwanted animals.
Scary Look-A-Likes
Small animals scour the skies as they munch, on the alert for winged danger. Owls and hawks are the main concern, and these birds have distinctive silhouettes. Devices that mimic the recognizable shapes of raptors prompt fear reactions. It is a similar concept to the scare crow, which has been used for years to deter birds from crops and gardens. These deterrents work best if repositioned regularly, so they don’t become familiar and therefore less scary.
​
When animals are starving, as in the dead of winter, they may be forced to eat almost anything. During the gardening season, however, the munching marauders are just looking for tasty snack options. Make these critters feel unwelcome with natural repellents that are safe, effective, and non-toxic.
​
Spray-N-Grow offers a variety of animal repellents that will restore your love for these cute, furry animals by keeping them at a distance. For a full list of our all-natural animal repellent offerings, click here.
