What I do for deer is to make a pepper spray, and hose down the plants I want to protect with it. I haven't needed to do anything else at all. It's incredibly effective, and they take the hint instantly.
To make the spray, I'll start with a good handful of crushed red pepper, and sometimes chopped up ghost / scorpion peppers from my garden (not truly needed as the red pepper is more than enough, but those will make more spray per pepper).
The pepper gets soaked in a jar of rubbing alcohol for a day or ten, shaken a few times, and then strained. I'll then take some soapy water (with dish soap) and rinse the peppers again, and mix in the alcohol. Most of the liquid at this point is soapy water, since alcohol is probably not great for plants if it's too concentrated.
This concoction goes into a garden sprayer, which I use on my ivy and whatever else they're bothering.
Obviously you don't want to be downwind of the spray when using it.. And it's better to have it come out like a stream than a fine mist!
To make the spray, I'll start with a good handful of crushed red pepper, and sometimes chopped up ghost / scorpion peppers from my garden (not truly needed as the red pepper is more than enough, but those will make more spray per pepper).
The pepper gets soaked in a jar of rubbing alcohol for a day or ten, shaken a few times, and then strained. I'll then take some soapy water (with dish soap) and rinse the peppers again, and mix in the alcohol. Most of the liquid at this point is soapy water, since alcohol is probably not great for plants if it's too concentrated.
This concoction goes into a garden sprayer, which I use on my ivy and whatever else they're bothering.
Obviously you don't want to be downwind of the spray when using it.. And it's better to have it come out like a stream than a fine mist!
