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Does Peppermint Oil Keep Deer Away? (Explained)

Deer can be found as timid and delectable animals but not for all the time. Deer are herbivores who live eating green plants, leaves, fruits and flowers. But they can become a great nuisance if they find a backyard or garden eye-catching and great for their daily foods. 

Peppermint oil to keep deer away

Peppermint oil works really well as a deer repellent. It carries a strong smell which irritates their nostrils. The natural elements mint and menthol are highly responsible for the acute smell. It doesn’t perish or dangerously harm deer; rather it creates an alert to keep a distance from the place. 

Though deer are large bodied animals, they are herbivores. Green leaves and plants, vibrant fruits and flowers are their favorite. However, they are not that picky about food. They love to munch plants and leaves that they find near them. 

If they find a place for their food and get the opportunity, they will regularly visit, take a bite of your fruits, flowers or vegetables, munch the leaves and initially will destroy your beautiful decorative garden in a few minutes. 

From eyes to nose, deer depend both on visualization and smell to select their food. In fact, deer have a very keen sense of smell as they have not only scent glands on their face but also between the cleaves on their feet which has a significant impact on food. 

They feel irritation if they find any acute fragrance and try to maintain distance from the particular place. As a natural element, peppermint oil has a very strong fragrance which makes it a deterrent. They find the smell very uncomfortable and unbearable and so, avoid it. 

Usually from the flowering parts and leaves of the peppermint plant, the oil comes from. It’s basically composed of menthol 40.7% and menthone 23.3% which are mainly responsible to make it a deterrent. 

In fact, there are other chemical compounds such as menthofuran, limonene, menthyl acetate, beta-caryophyllene etc. which togetherly create the acute fragrance. It’s likely a feeling of danger for them and when they smell the scent, they become alert. 

This natural deterrent can help to deter deer from your area for a long time but as long as you use it. 

After being irritated for a long time by deer, to protect your garden from deer, you may want to take some precautions. It is possible to create a deer-resistant garden using a tall fence around your whole garden so that the deer can’t jump and enter your garden. 

Also you can scatter the land by adding stones and stairs which deer don’t like. But all these steps are  likely to be a little costly. If you want any inexpensive possible way to get rid of deer, peppermint essential oil can be a great option to keep them out. 

This normally happens when they can’t find their regular food mostly in winter. It’s better not to hurt or harm them; rather deter them harmlessly.

Is it safe?

Peppermint oil or most of the other essential oils work as a repulsive for deer as they contain an acute scent. Deer find the intense smell irritated and intolerable. But it isn’t as harmful as poison. It doesn’t perish or cause any serious issues

The scent only irritates their nose or nostrils and when it is tasted, they find it distaste or blister in the mouth or taste buds. In fact, if deer orally consume peppermint oil, it won’t be dangerous for their health. 

The reason is, it’s a natural repellent which carries all the natural ingredients, no element like chemicals, preservatives or toxins is present. Some deer can have allergies or rashes to their skin if they get touched by raw peppermint oil from the plants or leaves. 

Some other possible side effects can be heartburn in mouth, abdominal pain, diarrhea if they anyhow consume peppermint oil. If they inhale the smell of peppermint oil for a long time, they can have breathing issues, nausea, headaches or dizziness. 

How to use peppermint oil to keep deer away? 

If applied properly, the potent mint aroma of peppermint oil can be utilized to deter deer. In several ways peppermint oils can be applied. 

They can be sprayed directly over areas where deer frequently congregate, or they can be mixed with other powerful and effective scents and left around garden areas to deter the deer. 

Alternatively, peppermint oil can also be used to ward off deer if it is combined with mint leaves or mint essence and sprayed into the air.

A diffuser combining spearmint oils with other potent scents: 

When deer smell the perfume of peppermint combining with spearmint and other essential oils, the combination produces a stronger odor that the animals can’t stand and make them flee. Deer won’t come back for a very long time because of this. 

You can add a few essential oils together or can even use one essential oil separately to make the diffuser. 

Crushed mint leaves to enhance the flavor of peppermint oil: 

Strongly fragrant mint or peppermint leaves can be added to peppermint oil, which can then be applied in locations where deer are known to congregate. 

These are effective in keeping deer away for four to five hours, depending on how long the fragrance hangs around. You must use these frequently to keep deer away quickly.

Deer repellent recipe with peppermint oil 

To naturally deter deer without harming them, using peppermint oil will be great. A formula that incorporates peppermint oil and other essential oils can be used to effectively scare away deer. This is a simple way to naturally fend off deer without doing much. 

This recipe calls for a spray bottle or pot, peppermint oil in the proper quantity, a dropper, and extra ingredients like vinegar, rosemary, or spearmint oil. 

As this recipe uses only natural and organic materials, it will last for a very long time when sprayed over foliage, buildings, or other sites to deter deer. In fact, it won’t perish or severely harm them; rather produce a danger signal to avoid the place. 

A vinegar-based recipe: 

This recipe, which can be created at home, calls for six to seven drops of vinegar, six to eight drops of peppermint oil, and water. 

You must first add the water, then use vinegar to create a concentrated solution before adding the peppermint oil in the specified quantity. 

This peppermint oil solution can be applied with the use of a spray bottle on the outside parts of the home or in locations where deer usually congregate.

Adding additional essential oils to the recipe: 

Prior to adding peppermint oil, it is necessary to start with strong-smelling oils, such as rosemary, citronella, or spearmint oil, in the amounts of seven to eight drops each. Water can be used to check the consistency. 

With the use of a spray bottle, this peppermint oil solution can be applied to the home’s garden areas or locations where deer commonly gather.  

A recipe that incorporates garlic and cloves: 

You must first grab a spray bottle and fill it halfway with water before adding some pieces of garlic or cloves, or eggs, can also be added. 

The mixture is ready to be spread over the leaves and gardens because it contains garlic, which has a very pungent smell when mixed with cloves and peppermint oil, which produces an even more potent pungent smell. 

This recipe is made by using garlic and some pieces of cloves to enhance the scent, then having to add the peppermint oil of seven ml in that spray bottle and having to add water. When used, it will assist in the repulsion of deer.

What essential oil keeps deer away?

There are varieties of essential oils we can find including citronella, eucalyptus, spearmint, peppermint, lemon, rosemary, and lavender etc. Essential oils that carry an acute fragrance, mostly work as a deer repellent

Because, deer have a huge number of olfactory receptors that can irritate when they inhale any strong fragrant. They find the strong scent hard to bear and can possibly have breathing issues.

For instance, the essential oils that carry mint and menthone are mostly effective to work as a repellent. Deer highly dislike peppermint and spearmint oil because of the scent of mint or menthol for it’s irritating sensation on their nose and bristle to their mouth. 

Lavender essential oil carries the linalool that produces the overpowering smell, making it another deer repellent. Furthermore, the citronellal properties in citronella oil make it repulsive for its intense smell that can irritate the olfactory nerves. 

Final Thoughts 

To get rid of deer, peppermint oil will be a great natural repellent. Deer have an acute sense of smell. The overpowering smell for the mint, menthol and other natural properties in peppermint oil makes deer harder to tolerate. If applied properly, it can work on a long-term basis.