Dawn dish soap deer repellent - Why it's great | Garden Tips (2024)

So you’re having problems with deer eating your plants and shrubs in your yard… Dawn dish soap is a pH-neutral liquid dishwashing degreaser that was first produced in blue in 1973 and now comes in a variety of other lovely colors, including green, red, orange, and even pink. However, Dawn dish soap isn’t simply for the dishes my friends, this stuff is dynamite, versatile and great for keeping deer out of your yard.

Deer really dislike the smell of dawn dish soap. The simple fact that it is inexpensive is the major reason so many people advocate using Dawn dish soap to repel deer. As a result, it’s likely some people already have it in their cupboards. That is why it’s an excellent approach to get started on removing deer from your yard.

To make the simple mixture you will need:

• 1-2 tbsp of Dawn

• 1 gallon of water

• Sprayer/ Sprayer Bottle

Deer are one of the most challenging animals to try to control in a yard or garden. They are attracted to gardens and yards because they find the vegetation tasty, and once they start coming they can be very hard to get rid of.

Deer cause damage

Deer can cause a lot of damage to gardens and yards, stripping away plants and scaring off other wildlife. There are a few things that people can do to try to discourage deer from coming, including using loud sound devices or motion-activated sprinklers, but these can be expensive and may not always be effective.

The strange thing is that a deer can ruin the many days and hours of effort you’ve invested in your garden. It may trample over the well-trampled flowerbeds and devour your plants like a fat kid at a buffet… nothing left.

Many methods to try

There are several methods for keeping deer out of our yards. Some of them are quite successful, while others may require an element of patience. This article covers a type of repellent that is used to drive away deer. Follow along to learn how to keep deer off your property by using Dawn dish soap as a repellent.

Dawn dish soap is a powerful cleaning agent that can be used for many different purposes. It is also an effective deer repellent. Deer have a very sensitive sense of smell, and the strong scent of Dawn dish soap can be unpleasant for them.

The dish soap will not harm the deer if they happen to ingest it, but the taste and smell will be enough to discourage them from returning to your yard.

It’s also inexpensive and the chances are that many of us have it already lying around somewhere in the cupboards at home. So, if you’re looking for an effective and inexpensive way to keep deer out of your yard, read on!

Yes, you should use Dawn dish soap as a deer repellent. However, the answer isn’t as simple as it first appears which is why it requires a little more explanation.

Will it harm the deer?

Your first consideration is if the dawn dish soap is likely to harm the deer. The short answer is no, it won’t harm the deer if they ingest it in small quantities. We know the taste and smell of the dish soap can be unpleasant for them but obviously, we want to avoid hurting them.

Dawn is often used in very tiny quantities with a lot of water in every combination recipe we’ve seen. Even if deer drank it straight from the sprayer that you are using, a little amount of Dawn diluted in water will not be enough to kill them.

Will it damage my plants, shrubs, trees and flowers?

The next issue to consider is what effect will be spraying Dawn on your grass, shrubs, trees, and flowers have. This is where the ambiguity begins and real harm may occur to your yard.

There are two aspects to consider before using Dawn dish soap on your garden as a deer repellent:

1. Dawn can cut through grease: Dawn is great at cutting through grease. The leaves of all plants have a wax-like layer called the waxy cuticle. This layer regulates how much water exits the plant through the leaves. If you remove the waxy layer, plants will lose water fast.

2. Its Anti-bacterial quality: Dawn also has anti-bacterial properties. This means that it can kill the good bacteria in the soil that help plants to grow as well as other lifeforms such as worms, insects and pollinators like bees. If too much of the anti-microbial solution is sprayed in your yard, some of the living organisms may be killed – which is why it is a good idea to dilute the solution as much as possible.

It’s important to remember that when you are using any cleaning agent, it will have an impact on your plants. The key is to understand what that impact is likely to be and take steps to reduce the risk.

There have been a lot of reports about people mixing everything from dawn with their dog’s urine to create a repellent. What follows is an attempt to provide you with some of the greatest mixtures and suggestions we’ve discovered.

This is only a sample of what you can do. You should start with a diluted solution and examine how your plants respond to it on an inconspicuous spot in your yard to see if it’s too strong. Also, keep in mind that not all plants will react the same way. Before putting large areas under any mixtures, test each plant individually.

Simple Method

Mix the two ingredients in a spray bottle and apply liberally to any plants or areas that you want to protect. The mixture will need to be reapplied after it rains.

• 1-2 tbsp of Dawn

• 1 gallon of water

• Sprayer/ Sprayer Bottle

Egg method

Eggs contain a protein called avidin that has shown to be an effective deer repellent. This method is most useful when applied before new plant growth has begun. You can leave the mixture to sit in the sun for 3-5 days to increase its odor.

• 1 egg

• 1 gallon of water

• Sprayer/ Sprayer Bottle

Spicy method

Deer have a very sensitive nose and they are repelled by spicy smells. This method is best applied to areas where you suspect deer have been visiting. You can leave the mixture to sit in the sun for 3-5 days to increase its odor.

• 1 diced onion

• Garlic powder

• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper

• 1 gallon of water

• Sprayer/ Sprayer Bottle

Essential oils formula

This method uses essential oils that have been shown to be effective deer repellents. You can use any combination of the following:

• eucalyptus

• rosemary

• clove

• peppermint

• cinnamon

• lemon

• citrus oils

Mix the essential oils with water in a 1:1 ratio. This means for every one part oil you will need one part water. For example, if you are using 1 ounce of oil you will need 1 ounce of water. Mix this in a spray bottle and apply to areas where deer are a problem. Reapply after it rains.

Dawn, Egg, Milk, Garlic powder, Cayan Pepper Method

Combine all ingredients into an old bucket and let sit in the sun for 3-5 days. You can apply the mixture using an old thick paintbrush (it will block a sprayer) to the affected areas. This mixture will last up to 2 weeks. Beware this method does kick up a foul smell as you can imagine.

• 1 cup of milk

• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder

• 3-4 drops of Dawn dish soap

• 1 egg

• large paintbrush

So let’s summarise why using Dawn dish soap as a deer repellent is an effective solution:

• Dawn dish soap is an inexpensive solution that will help repel deer from your yard.

• You can make a simple mixture using, 1-2 tbsp of dawn, 1 gallon of water and a sprayer.

• Deer are hard to control because they are attracted to vegetation that people commonly have in their yards.

• It will not harm the deer that visit your yard if you use dawn dish soap in small amounts.

• It can damage your plants, shrubs, trees and flowers if you don’t use dawn dish soap in small quantities.

• There are many methods that you can use to repel deer from your yard such as “The Simple Method”, “Egg Method”, “Spicy Method”, “Essential oils Method” and “Dawn, Egg, Milk, Garlic powder, Cayan Pepper Method”.