[Sca-cooks] RE: Cervidae

[Tara Sersen Boroson]

> Deer will stay away from things that smell or taste bad. Blood, really
> heavily scented bar soaps, or human hair. Or you can put pepper spray on
> the plants you want to keep. Do a google search on the keywords "blood
> deer repellent" and you'll get a host of useful links.
>
> Margaret, who has problem rabbits rather than deer
>
> ***Deer also will avoid human urine.  But, don't let the menfolk
> in your house know, or they will use this as an excuse to "mark
> their territory".  Also, not good (disease issues) if you are
> raising a food crop.
>
> Alternatively,  you can landscape with 'deer-proof' plants -
> most catalogues will indicate if a given plant is liked by
> deer.  Otherwise, a high fence may help.

You can buy wolf, coyote and fox urine at good garden shops and on the
internet.  It's sterilized.  It does wash away eventually, so you have
to spray it frequently if it's rainy.  I've been told that you can spray
it around the perimeter of a garden, rather than right on the plants.

To be honest, I don't know that using human urine in any case is
especially dangerous.  Urine doesn't carry nearly as many icky nasties
as feces, and I've read that as long as the person producing it is
healthy, it's clean enough to (ugh) drink if you're really desperate.
Soil doesn't provide a good medium for growing most of germs that affect
humans.  I still wouldn't have my husband do his thang right on my food
plants, but I don't think I'd worry about piddling around the perimeter.

I also wouldn't use any urea product frequently right in the garden
because urea left to it's own devices breaks down to nitrogen and really
upsets the balance in your soil.  Relieving yourself there on occasion
won't hurt, but doing it frequently will.  It's usually an issue in
spots where pets or stray animals choose to do their business daily.

-Magdalena