{"id":2392,"date":"2025-04-14T04:15:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T08:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.blog.sdps-bbs.com\/?p=2392"},"modified":"2026-04-23T10:24:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T14:24:25","slug":"protecting-spring-plants-from-wildlife-damage-using-repellents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/protecting-spring-plants-from-wildlife-damage-using-repellents\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting Spring Plants From Wildlife Damage Using Repellents"},"content":{"rendered":"

While the weather may tell you otherwise, spring is upon us. With the changing\u00a0weather comes greening grass, breaking buds and sprouting plants. This plethora of fresh growth can help cure the winter blues, but it also provides wildlife with a desirable food source. Recently you may have noticed deer and other wildlife’s increased utilization of winter wheat fields and other green areas like lawns \u2013 early spring is the time you see deer in Indiana feed extensively on grass.<\/p>\n

\"EmergingFor homeowners, this is the time you need to scout around your home for emerging plants in your lands\u200bcaping beds. Plants that are frequently browsed by deer such as tulips or hostas need special attention, but the limited amount of green plant material can leave any plant as a potential target. Most homeowners choose a type of taste repellent to protect plants. There are several tips on how to increase the efficacy of this approach.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Timing<\/b>: It helps to have some foresight into when damage is likely to occur and\/or the plant developmental stage(s). Unfortunately, this is usually based on past experience. Ideally, you want to time applications during these periods.\u00a0 With tulips, for example, applying repellents early during sprouting, later during sprouting and during flower bud development will prevent damage during most years.<\/li>\n
  2. Type of repellent<\/b>: There are many types of taste repellents labeled for deer and other wildlife species. Most have a combination of capsaicin, putrefied egg solids and\/or fatty acids of ammonium soaps. There are, of course, others with different ingredients. So which do you choose? There have been many studies that have investigated the efficacy of repellents. The bottom line \u2013 they work, but control is not 100%.<\/li>\n
  3. Label<\/b>: Failures can often result when\u00a0not following the directions on the label. The label also provides safety information and what you can\/can\u2019t spray. Read and follow the label \u2013 it\u2019s the law.<\/li>\n
  4. Expectations<\/b>: You aren\u2019t going to solve all of your wildlife problems by spraying a few plants or even everything. If you use repellents, reapply according to label directions (every three to four\u00a0weeks is usually a good rule of thumb). To increase success, you may use them as part of an integrated approach that includes exclusion, cultural practices and other approaches.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Resources<\/strong>
    \nDiagnosing and Controlling Wildlife Damage<\/a>, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s rescource center
    \n    Preventing Wildlife Damage – Do You Need a Permit?<\/a>, The Education Store
    \n    Wildlife Conflicts<\/a>, Purdue University
    \n    New Tool for Helping Landowners to Help Declining Birds<\/a>, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR)
    \n    Forest Management for Reptiles and Amphibians: A Technical Guide for the Midwest<\/a>, The Education Store
    \n    Ask the Expert: Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment \u2013 Birds and Salamander Research<\/a>, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR
    \n    Developing a Wildlife Habitat Management Plan<\/a>, The Education Store
    \n    The Nature of Teaching<\/a>, Purdue Extension
    \n    ID That Tree<\/a>, Playlist, Purdue Extension \u2013 Forestry and Natural Resources Youtube Channel
    \n<\/strong>    A Woodland Management Moment<\/a>, Playlist, Purdue Extension \u2013 FNR Youtube Channel
    \n    Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest<\/a>, Purdue University Press
    \n    Native Trees of the Midwest<\/a>, Purdue University Press
    \n    Forest Improvement Handbook<\/a>, The Education Store
    \n    Fifty Common Trees of Indiana<\/a>, Purdue Extension – FNR
    \n    Invasive plants: impact on environment and people<\/a>, The Education Store
    \n    ReportINvasive<\/a>, Purdue College of Agriculture – Entomology
    \n    Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA)<\/a>
    \n    District Forester<\/a>, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, 10+ acres
    \n    Find an Arborist<\/a>, International Society of Arboriculture<\/p>\n

    Brian MacGowan<\/a>, Extension Wildlife Specialist
    \nDepartment of Forestry and Natural Resources\u200b<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    While the weather may tell you otherwise, spring is upon us. With the changing\u00a0weather comes greening grass, breaking buds and sprouting plants. This plethora of fresh growth can help cure the winter blues, but it also provides wildlife with a desirable food source. Recently you may have noticed deer and other wildlife’s increased utilization of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,49,54],"tags":[63,67,72],"class_list":["post-2392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-howto","category-plants","category-wildlife","tag-how-to","tag-plants","tag-wildlife","audience-for-enthusiasts","audience-for-homeowners","audience-for-landowners","audience-for-professionals"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2392"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2392\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41244,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2392\/revisions\/41244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}