Deer may seem innocent, but they can create chaos in your garden and other plant life.
It can be frustrating to deal with animals, especially when they are damaging your precious garden, and you are probably looking for ways to make them stop.
Coffee grounds are often used to deter wildlife from coming near your plants, but do they work for deterring deer?
In this guide we'll answer that question, and give you some useful deer deterrent tips.
Do Coffee Grounds Actually Keep Deer At Bay?
Deer have a strong sense of smell, which means that the bitter smell of coffee grounds can be used to keep deer away from your property.
However, there is no scientific evidence to prove that coffee grounds repel deer, but ground coffee does exude a bitter odor that can support deterring deer nearby your home.
Sprinkling coffee grounds on your garden bed close to your plants and trees can also help to keep other creatures away, and works as effective pest control.
However, it is possible for deer to become accustomed to the scent of coffee grounds, which means that is won't be a great deer repellent for the long term.
The pungent smell can help, but only if used alongside commercial deer repellents, or another effective deer deterrent.
Many gardeners recommend using coffee grounds as deer repellent, but they have also seen results by using mint, garlic, and pepper.
Deer tend to use their sharp sense of smell to detect the presence of people and predators.[1] Unfamiliar, bitter scents usually frighten or upset them.
It is also worth noting that you want to scare the deer away, not bring harm upon them.
Using coffee grounds as deer repellent is a natural and harmless method to keep away deer and other creatures.
Why Use Coffee Grounds For Deer Repellent
How To Successfully Use Coffee Grounds To Keep Deer’s Deterred
The key to successfully using coffee grounds to repel deer is to store the used coffee grounds in a sealed bag or container for up to a week.
You should be careful about storing coffee grounds for longer than a week because they might develop mold that is not suitable for your garden.
After a few days or a week, you should spread the coffee grounds close to your plants and trees, and it will form a scent barrier that will keep deer away.
It is crucial that you use spent coffee grounds from HOT coffee because hot coffee releases more acidity compared to cold brews.
Dark roast coffee grounds tend to work best too because of the acidity levels.
Therefore, hot coffee will have a more bitter and acidic scent when you sprinkle it outside to deter deer.
The scent of coffee grounds will not last long, so it is best to replace the grounds daily or every other day to help keep deer away.
We do not recommend that you use instant coffee to stop deer due to the fact that instant coffee is much more diluted, so if you use coffee grounds from instant coffee there's much less of a smell.
Will Coffee Grounds Keep Deer Away From Your House Forever?
You should try to observe the effects that ground coffee has on keeping deer away. If it works for you long-term, then that is great!
However, it is worth noting that coffee grounds might not be a complete long-term solution due to habituation.
Habituation is when deer become accustomed to the scent of coffee grounds, and they realize that there is nothing to fear.
Deer will likely become used to the smell of coffee grounds over time, so the scent will become less effective.
Therefore, it is essential that you have other methods alongside spreading coffee grounds to keep deer away.
Alternative Ways To Keep Deer Away From Your Home
Common Questions About Keeping Deer At Bay
What smells do deer hate?
Deer dislike sharp and strong smells like Marigolds (Tagetes species), Putrescent Egg Solids, Mint (Mentha species), Wolf Urine, Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare), Garlic (Allium sativum), Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), Oregano (Origanum vulgare), Sage (Salvia officinalis), Rosemary (Salvia Rosmarinus) and Lavender (Lavandula).
What are the disadvantages of using coffee grounds to repel deer?
The main disadvantage of using coffee grounds in your garden is the fact that the scent fades quickly, especially after a heavy rainfall.
Therefore, it is important that you remain consistent and replace the coffee grounds daily or every few days in order to keep deer and other animals away.
Does vinegar keep deers away? What about cinnamon?
Deer, as well as other creatures like cats, dogs, rabbits, foxes, and raccoons, do not like the smell of vinegar, especially after it has dried.
You should consider soaking a few rags in full white vinegar and place them around the garden to keep away animal visitors. Try to restock the rags every 7 to 10 days.
Cinnamon is also an effective year-round control against deer damage.
What plants do deer hate the most?
Deer tend to avoid poisonous plants or plants with toxicity like daffodils, foxgloves, and poppies.
They also do not like plants with strong scents like sages, lavender, and ornamental salvias, along with flowers like peonies and bearded Irises. Prickly plants are also not liked by deer.
Conclusion
So, do coffee grounds deter deer? Not fully - but they can definitely help.
Spent coffee grounds can work alongside other methods to deter deer, and will help you keep local deer out of your garden and plants.
Hopefully this guide introduced some of the best deer repellent options, and you now know how to utilize used coffee grounds for keeping deer away from your property.
References:
1. https://www.northamericanwhitetail.com/editorial/science-behind-deers-sense-of-smell-scent-control/368596
2. https://www.rd.com/list/baby-powder-gardening/
