If deer, rabbits, and shrews keep treating your plants like an all-you-can-eat buffet, this simple homemade repellent is about as budget-friendly as it gets. You only need 1 tablespoon blood meal and 2 gallons warm water to make a spray that helps discourage pests from browsing your plants and young trees.
This is a quick mix-and-spray project, not a fussy garden treatment. It uses a small amount of blood meal stretched into a large batch, which keeps the cost low while giving you enough repellent to coat several plants or trees.
- 🧰 Materials You'll Need
- 🔧 Tools/Equipment
- 🛠️ How to Make Blood Meal Repellent
- 🎨 Customization Ideas
- 🛠️ How to Use It
- 🛡️ Safety Information
- 📦 Storage
- 💸 Estimated Cost
- 🛍️ Need Help Finding Everything?
- ❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Homemade Blood Meal Repellent
- 📌 Love this Homemade Blood Meal Repellent for Deer, Rabbits, and Shrews? Pin it!
- 🖨️ Print-Friendly How-To: Homemade Blood Meal Repellent for Deer, Rabbits, and Shrews
Materials You’ll Need
- 1 tablespoon blood meal
- 2 gallons warm water
Tools/Equipment
- Spray bottle or garden sprayer large enough for the mixed repellent
- Measuring tablespoon
- Mixing container, if needed, before pouring into the sprayer
How to Make Blood Meal Repellent
- Pour 2 gallons of warm water into a large spray bottle or garden sprayer.
- Measure 1 tablespoon of blood meal and add it to the water.
- Combine all in a spray bottle, mix & thoroughly coat plants/ trees.
This simple ratio works as a spray repellent for deer, rabbits, and shrew damage in the garden.
Customization Ideas
- For small gardens: Mix the full batch and use part of it in a handheld spray bottle while keeping the rest in a larger garden sprayer for quick touch-ups.
- For young trees and shrubs: Focus on tender new growth, lower trunks, and the outer foliage where browsing usually starts first.
- For budget gardeners: Use this homemade spray alongside other low-cost deterrents, such as simple barriers or the ideas in 15+ Ways to Repel Dogs and Cats from your Garden.
How to Use It
Thorough coverage matters more than fancy technique. Spray enough of the mixture to coat the plants or trees you want to protect. Pay special attention to the most vulnerable spots, including fresh growth and areas where you already see chewing damage.
This type of treatment is best used as one layer of protection, especially when wildlife pressure is heavy. If you’re dealing with several kinds of critters at once, you might also like MYO Pest Repellents, Pesticides, and More for other homemade options around the yard.
University of California IPM notes that repellents containing dried blood can help discourage rabbit browsing, but repellents are often less reliable in vegetable gardens or other spots packed with highly preferred foods. Read product directions carefully whenever you’re using blood-meal-based products around edible crops or harvestable plants: UC IPM rabbit repellent guidance.
Safety Information
Keep this repellent away from pets, pet food dishes, and children’s play areas until the sprayed surfaces have dried. Blood meal and similar garden products can attract dogs, and fenced-off treated areas are the safer choice.
If you’re spraying near edible plants, follow common-sense garden safety. Avoid overspraying anything you plan to harvest right away, and do not assume every fertilizer product is labeled for every crop or landscape use.
Storage
Use the mixture the same day for the simplest, least-messy results. If you have extra, keep it in a clearly labeled sprayer or container out of reach of children and pets, and away from direct sun or heat. Give it a good shake or stir before using it again because the blood meal can settle.
Estimated Cost
Estimated consumable cost per batch: $0.16
That estimate is based on 1 tablespoon of blood meal from a 3 lb bag priced at about $14.14. Water is not included in the estimate, and prices vary by store and region.
🛍️ Need Help Finding Everything?
- Espoma Organic Blood Meal Fertilizer, 3 lbs at Walmart
- Blood meal fertilizer on Amazon
- Natural Pet Repellent
Frequently Asked Questions about Homemade Blood Meal Repellent
Yes. This mixture is meant to thoroughly coat plants and trees, especially the tender growth that deer, rabbits, and shrews usually target first.
No. A spray bottle works for a few plants, but a garden sprayer makes more sense for a full 2-gallon batch. Use whatever lets you coat the plants evenly without wearing half of it yourself.
Yes, as long as you keep the same ratio of 1 tablespoon blood meal to 2 gallons warm water. If you scale it down, measure carefully so the mix stays consistent.
Use caution. Blood meal products can attract pets, especially dogs, so keep them out of treated areas until everything dries and store unused material where they can’t get into it.
Be careful with edible plants. Some repellents work better on ornamentals than food crops, and labeling matters. If you’re treating anything edible, make sure the product use fits that setting and avoid spraying produce you plan to harvest right away.
The easiest option is to use it the same day. If you have leftovers, keep them in a labeled container or sprayer out of reach of pets and children, then shake well before reusing since the blood meal can settle.
Warm water helps the blood meal mix in more easily than cold water. It won’t turn the project into magic, but it does make blending the batch simpler.
Sometimes, but not always. Repellents usually work best as part of a bigger plan that may include fencing, timing, and reapplication when needed. If animals are desperate enough, they’ll ignore a lot of things they normally avoid.
This mix is intended for deer, rabbits, and shrew problems in the garden. It’s a simple homemade deterrent, not a broad-spectrum fix for every pest wandering through your yard.
📌 Love this Homemade Blood Meal Repellent for Deer, Rabbits, and Shrews? Pin it!
Did you try this project? Tell us what you used it on and whether it helped protect your plants.
🖨️ Print-Friendly How-To: Homemade Blood Meal Repellent for Deer, Rabbits, and Shrews
Homemade Blood Meal Repellent for Deer, Rabbits, and Shrews
Equipment
Materials
- 1 tablespoon blood meal
- 2 gallons warm water
Instructions
- Add 2 gallons warm water to a large spray bottle or garden sprayer.
- Measure 1 tablespoon blood meal and add it to the water.
- Mix well and thoroughly coat plants/ trees.
- Estimated cost reflects consumable materials only and does not include reusable tools.
- Use caution around pets and children.
- Keep treated areas inaccessible to pets until dry.
- Shake or stir before reuse if the mixture settles.
