As the weather cools, the natural food sources of deer diminish. This means they are more likely to move onto farmland, orchards, gardens and parks where you can see them stripping the bark of trees and nibbling away at shrubs and ornamentals.
One of the most obvious signs of deer damage in winter is bark-stripping, seen on tree trunks at deer head height. You may also notice spring buds and foliage stripped, especially if this occurs overnight.
The solution is a harmless, humane and sustainable product called Trico. Trico isn't just another off-the-shelf spray – it offers highly effective protection. Read on to find out why this particular solution is genuinely interesting for anyone facing deer damage.
The Secret Ingredient: Innovation from Tradition
What makes Trico stand out in a crowded market of sprays and granules is its core active ingredient: emulsified sheep fat (64.6 g/l).
Why sheep fat? Well, this isn't a new idea – it’s ‘innovation from tradition.’ For centuries, particularly in Europe, foresters faced the challenge of protecting newly planted trees and young shoots from deer (roe deer, red deer, and elk/moose).
They discovered that by tying small pieces of sheep's wool around the vulnerable tips of young plants, the deer would avoid grazing.
Deer naturally avoid the scent and taste associated with sheep. This avoidance is likely an instinctual behaviour, perhaps because they don't want to get near a potential livestock or farm area, or they simply find the odour of the lanolin/fat repulsive.
Deer are repelled on two fronts. They smell the product and stay away, and if they do try to graze the affected plants, the unpleasant taste quickly teaches them to move on. This ‘learn-to-avoid’ mechanism provides long-term peace of mind.
Trico took this proven concept of sheep fat repulsion, and formulated it into a high-performance, easy-to-use spray, surmising that the repellent factor wasn’t the wool fibre, but the fatty substance embedded within it.
Why Trico is a Game-Changer
Forget having to reapply after every morning dew. Trico addresses the biggest complaint about traditional repellents: rain fastness and longevity.
- Unbeatable Rain Resistance: Once applied and allowed to dry (which takes about an hour), Trico is exceptionally rain resistant. This means you get long-lasting protection, often for up to six months with a single application (depending on the season and plant growth). This saves time, money, and effort compared to less durable products.
- Harmless to Wildlife and Plants: Trico is formulated to be completely harmless to the deer themselves—it just convinces them to find dinner elsewhere. It is also safe for most plants, including deciduous trees, conifers, shrubs, and ornamentals. It dries clear, too, so it won't spoil the look of your flowers or prized garden beds.
- Proven Effectiveness: Developed in Austria and used widely across Europe for over 20 years, Trico has been extensively proven in over 70 field trials. In fact, it is the gold standard in modern forestry and a reliable choice for your garden.
The Problem it Solves: More Than Just Nibbled Leaves
Trico addresses a deeper conflict, coexistence with nature.
- Protecting Investment: For homeowners and commercial growers alike (orchards, and nurseries), deer grazing can lead to massive financial loss and the heartbreaking destruction of years of work. Trico offers a reliable safeguard for that investment.
- The Ethical Dilemma: Many people love deer but need them to stop damaging their property. Trico provides an ethical, humane, harmless, and sustainable alternative to harsh chemical deterrents or costly, visually obstructive fencing.
- It maintains the ecological balance while protecting vulnerable plants and is approved by the British Deer Society.
If you’re tired of waking up to damaged gardens and want a proven, natural, and long-lasting defence against deer, Trico Deer Repellent is an innovative product that deserves a spot in your garden shed.
How to Apply Trico Deer Repellent
- Pop on Chemical Resistant Gloves
- Shake the Trico Garden container prior to opening
- Dilute Trico Garden at a ratio of 1 part product in 3 parts water (1:3) to 1 part product in 5 parts water (1:5). For context, 150-200mls of Trico Garden is applied in a final volume of 0.3 - 1.01/100m².
- Apply using a sprayer fitted with medium nozzle. For seedlings and saplings, spray just the terminal bud or top of the seedling / sapling. You do not need to cover the entire plant.
- Trico can be used on herbaceous plants such as geranium and begonia along with shrubs like forsythia and roses. Spray these plants to the height of the deer.
