How to Putrefy Eggs for Deer Repellent

Co-authored by Aly Rusciano

Last Updated: June 14, 2022 References Tested

Are deer chewing up your garden again? Are you at your wit's end with these adorable woodland creatures? Well, you’ve come to the right place! A natural, homemade repellent from putrefied eggs can be the perfect trick to keep the deer away from your plants. Keep reading to learn how to putrefy eggs for a DIY deer repellent.

Ingredients

1-2 eggs
1 gallon (3.8 L) of water
1 cup (128 g) of milk or yogurt
2 tsp (10 mL) of cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tsp (10 mL) of garlic powder (optional)

Makes 1 gallon (3.8 L)

1

Mix a whole egg inside a bucket.

Egg is the base of the deer repellent and will give it a pungent smell. Use your hand or a fork to scramble the egg, shell and all.^{[1]
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Research source} If you want your deer repellent to be extra potent, add another egg.

2

Pour 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water into a bucket.

The amount of water you use will yield the same amount of repellent. Because this repellent uses water as it’s primarily liquid, it’s safe to pour on your plants and won’t harm the wildlife.^{[2]
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3

Pour 1 cup (128 g) of milk into the egg and water mixture.

Dairy makes the egg putrefy faster and smell even worse. Some farmers and gardeners make their repellent without milk, but the the worse your repellent smells, the better!^{[3]
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- 1 cup (128 g) of yogurt also works. Just make sure you’re using dairy-based milk or yogurt.

4

Add at least 2 tsp (10 mL) of cayenne pepper to the mixture.

Deer are naturally irritated by the spicy, smokey smell of cayenne. This spice isn’t a necessary ingredient to a putrefied egg repellent, but it can deter the deer even more. Plus, it doesn’t harm plants or animals.^{[4]
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5

Toss at least 2 tsp (10 mL) of garlic powder into the mixture.

Like cayenne pepper, garlic irritates a deer’s sensitive smell. Although this ingredient is optional, the garlic smell can help keep deer away.^{[5]
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6

Stir the mixture together.

Slosh the ingredients around in the bucket until they’re mixed. This is where having a large bucket comes in handy.^{[6]
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Research source} If you’re using something smaller, stir with a stick or spoon.

7

Let the mixture sit out in the sun for at least a day.

The sun will help the eggs and dairy putrify. The longer the mixture sits, the stronger it’ll smell, making it a more potent repellent.^{[7]
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8

Apply the repellent to plants with a paintbrush or spray bottle.

Focus on the area where the deer hang out the most. This DIY repellent won’t harm your plants as it’s made with all-natural and biodegradable materials, so you can put it directly on a deer-loving plant.^{[8]
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Research source} Spray it for easier and more wide-spread application on flowers.^{[9]
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Research source} But, it’s best to keep it away from any plants you eat.^{[10]
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- If adding the repellent to a spray bottle, drain out any chunks before filling. This will help the spray nozzle from clogging.

9

Reapply the repellent after several days or heavy rain.

The repellent can lose its smell or wash away with time. If there’s a heavy rainstorm or the plants have grown, add more repellent.^{[11]
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Research source} Watch to see if the deer come back, and keep applying repellent wherever they’re not wanted.