by 
The Curious Bag
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<h4 class="dechead">On One Hand: Dear Repellents Can Work
While there is no guarantee that any deer repellent will work 100 percent of the time, according to the University of Rhode Island Department of Plant Sciences, repellents can be used to help control deer damage. They recommend three: Deer Away, Deer-Off and Tree Guard. Of the three, Deer-Off is the only repellent that has both the smell and taste component in their active ingredients. Unofficially, some people swear by hanging a bar of Dial soap from the plant or tree to keep deer away.
On the Other: Sometimes Repellents Do Not Work
When deer are extremely hungry, they might eat the plants even if a deer repellent has been used. Only use the repellents on valuable plants. In addition, never use repellents on food crops.
Bottom Line
The most-effective deer repellent products have a bad taste and a bad smell for the deer. If the repellents only have a bad taste, the deer first have to taste the plant to see that it tastes bad. Alternatively, repellents that only have a bad smell will not deter deer who are very hungry, as they will eat the plant anyway.
Source:
University of Rhode Island Landscape Horticulture Program: Deer Repellents
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