Liquid Fence Deer And Rabbit Repellent Reviews: Is It Worth It?

I’ve spent years battling deer and rabbits. I’ve tried netting, soap, and weird folk remedies. I was about to give up on my hostas and tulips forever. Then I tried Liquid Fence. Let me be blunt: it smells like the gates of hell when you spray it. But my garden is finally mine again. If you are sick of waking up to nubs and stems where your beautiful plants used to be, you are in the right place. You should buy this product, but you need to know how to use it first.

My Experience With The Liquid Fence Deer And Rabbit Repellent

My relationship with my backyard used to be a love-hate affair.

I loved planting; the deer and rabbits loved my free, 24-hour buffet.

Last spring was the breaking point. I planted 40 new, vibrant pink tulips.

I got exactly one morning of looking at them before the deer decapitated every single one.

That evening, I went to the store, furious, and grabbed the biggest jug of Liquid Fence Concentrate I could find.

I read the instructions. “Shake well.” “Spray on dry plants.” “Will smell bad.” I thought, “How bad can it be?”

Oh, my sweet, naive self. The smell that hit me when I opened that concentrate was… breathtaking. It’s a combination of rotten eggs, garlic, and pure despair. I mixed it in my 1-gallon sprayer, took a deep breath of clean air (my last for a while), and went to work. I sprayed everything. My hostas, my daylilies, the remaining tulip stems (out of spite), and my new vegetable garden perimeter.

The smell was overpowering. My neighbor, two yards over, actually came outside to see if something had “died.” I’m not kidding. I went inside, showered, and threw my clothes in the wash, feeling a mix of regret and hope.

The next morning, I went out with my coffee, bracing for the stench. It was gone. Or, rather, it was almost gone to my nose. I could catch a faint whiff if I buried my face in a hosta leaf (which I don’t recommend).

But here’s the magic. I saw deer tracks. Tracks that walked right up to my hosta buffet line… and stopped. They turned around and left. The same thing happened with my lettuce patch, which the rabbits usually mow down. They hadn’t touched it. For the first time, my garden was a “no-fly zone.” It was messy, it was stinky, but it was working.

Also Read: My Thoughts On Pearl’s Premium Grass Seed 

Pros Of The Liquid Fence Deer And Rabbit Repellent

• It Just Plain Works:
  • This is the main event. This product does exactly what it says it will do. It stops deer and rabbits from eating your plants. The active ingredients—putrescent egg solids, garlic, and other scent agents—work on two levels. First, the smell. Deer and rabbits have an incredibly sensitive sense of smell, and this product signals “DANGER” and “PREDATOR” (the rotten egg mimics animal decay or sulfur). They smell it from far away and decide your yard isn’t worth the risk. It creates a powerful scent barrier that is highly effective.
• It Works By Taste Too:
  • A powerful one-two punch. If a deer is brave (or hungry) enough to ignore the smell, the second line of defense is the taste. The formulation is designed to taste just as bad as it smells. I’ve watched a new, uneducated deer walk up, take a “test nibble” of a sprayed hosta leaf, and then immediately shake its head and back away. That deer never came back to that plant. This dual-action approach is far more effective than products that only rely on scent or only rely on taste.
• It’s Made With Ingredients I Can Trust:
  • No harsh, synthetic poisons. As a gardener, I am very careful about what I spray. I don’t want to douse my yard in chemicals that could harm my kids, my dog, or the beneficial insects. The active ingredients in Liquid Fence are primarily egg solids and garlic. While it’s not “certified organic” in the food sense, it’s not a systemic poison. It’s a behavior deterrent. It won’t harm the deer; it just makes them go “yuck” and move on. I feel comfortable spraying this around my vegetable garden (on the perimeter, not directly on the food I’m about to eat) and all over my ornamental plants.
• It Becomes Odorless To Humans (Mostly):
  • This is the magic trick. When you spray it, the smell is, as I mentioned, horrific. It’s a wet, sulfurous, rotten-egg cloud. But here’s the key: you spray it in the late afternoon. By the next morning, the smell has almost completely dissipated… to me. My human nose can no longer detect it unless I get right up to the leaf. But the deer and rabbits, with their super-powered noses, can still smell it loud and clear. This is the perfect compromise. I don’t have to smell rotten eggs while enjoying my patio, but the pests do.
• The Ready-To-Use (RTU) Option Is Simple:
  • Great for beginners or small jobs. While I personally buy the concentrate to save money (I have a big yard), the ready-to-use spray bottles are fantastic for beginners or for people with a smaller area. If you just have a few pots on your patio or one prize-winning rose bush, you can just grab the RTU bottle, shake it, and spray. There’s no mixing, no math, and no extra sprayer to clean. This accessibility is a huge plus for people who are intimidated by mixing their own solutions.
• It’s Rain-Resistant After It Dries:
  • It has real staying power. This is a huge benefit in my humid, rainy climate. You apply it on a dry day and let it dry for a few hours (I give it a full afternoon). Once it has dried and formed a film on the leaves, it’s remarkably rain-resistant. A light shower won’t wash it off. You don’t have to run out and re-spray after every single drizzle. This durability means one application lasts a long time, saving you time and money.

Cons Of The Liquid Fence Deer And Rabbit Repellent

• That Initial Smell Is Not A Joke:
  • It Is Horrific: I cannot emphasize this enough. The first time you spray this, you will question all your life choices. It’s not a “faintly bad” smell; it is a “gag-inducing” cloud of sulfur and rotten eggs. You must spray it when your neighbors aren’t having a backyard BBQ. You must stand upwind. You must not spray it right before you’re expecting guests. The smell is the price of admission, and it’s a high price, even if it’s temporary.
• The Sprayer Nozzle Clogs:
  • This Is My Biggest Pet Peeve: I use the concentrate, and the formula contains solids (the egg and garlic bits). No matter how well I shake the concentrate, and no matter how well I shake the sprayer, the nozzle on my pump sprayer will clog. It happens at least once or twice every time I spray. It’s incredibly frustrating to be in the middle of a stinky job and have to stop, de-gunk the nozzle, and get covered in the repellent. This is less of an issue with the RTU bottles, but for concentrate users, it’s a real problem.
• You Have To Be Consistent:
  • This Is Not A “One-And-Done” Product: You can’t just spray it once in April and expect it to work all summer. This is a maintenance product. You have to reapply it every 3-4 weeks, or after a massive, gully-washing rainstorm. You also have to spray new growth. If your hostas put out new, tender leaves, those leaves are not protected. The deer know this. You have to be diligent and make Liquid Fence a regular part of your garden chores. If you’re a “set it and forget it” person, this isn’t for you.
• The Ready-To-Use Version Gets Expensive:
  • The Price Of Convenience: If you have a larger area (more than just a few potted plants), buying the RTU spray bottles will drain your wallet fast. They are convenient, but you pay a heavy premium for that pre-mixed convenience. The concentrate is by far the most economical choice, but that brings you back to the hassle of mixing and the clogging sprayer. It’s a trade-off.

Maintenance Tips For The Liquid Fence Deer And Rabbit Repellent

• Always Use The Concentrate For Big Jobs:
  • Save Your Money: As I said, the RTU bottles are great for small areas, but the concentrate is where the real value is. One 32-ounce bottle of concentrate makes four gallons of repellent. That is a massive cost saving. You just need to buy a dedicated 1-gallon or 2-gallon pump sprayer. I recommend labeling this sprayer “DEER REPELLENT ONLY” with a thick permanent marker. Trust me, you do not want to accidentally use this sprayer for your fertilizer or insecticide later.
• Shake, Shake, Shake… Then Shake Again:
  • Don’t Skip This: The active ingredients are solids that settle at the bottom of the bottle. You need to shake the concentrate bottle vigorously for at least a minute before you pour it. Then, after you add it to your sprayer with water, you need to close the sprayer and shake the whole thing again. This is the best way to prevent the dreaded nozzle clog. I also make a habit of shaking the sprayer every few minutes while I’m walking around the yard.
• The “Clog-Free” Sprayer Trick:
  • My Secret Weapon: After years of frustration, I learned this trick. Get a small piece of old pantyhose or a very fine mesh cheesecloth. When you pour the concentrate into your pump sprayer, pour it through the cheesecloth or pantyhose. This will filter out any of the larger “chunks” or solids that didn’t dissolve, but it lets the active ingredients through. This one small step has reduced my nozzle clogs by about 90%. It’s a lifesaver.
• Timing Your Application Is Everything:
  • Spray In The “Golden Hours”: Do not spray this in the middle of a hot, sunny day. The oil-based components can, in rare cases, cause leaf scorch or “phytotoxicity” when combined with intense sun. The best time to spray is in the early evening or on a heavily overcast day. This gives the product all night to dry on the leaves before the sun hits it. You also must spray on a dry day when no rain is expected for at least 6-8 hours.
• Train The Deer (The First Application):
  • Be Aggressive At First: When you first start using Liquid Fence, the deer are still in the habit of visiting your yard. You need to break that habit. For the first two weeks, spray every 7-10 days. Be aggressive. You are “training” the local herd that your yard is no longer a food source. After this initial training period, you can back off to the 3-4 week maintenance schedule.
• Get The New Growth:
  • Don’t Get Complacent: In the spring, your plants are exploding with new growth. This new, tender foliage is what the deer and rabbits crave, and it’s not protected by your last application. You must make a pass of your yard once a week to quickly hit all the new leaves you see. A quick spritz is all it takes to keep the protection complete.
• Store It Properly:
  • Protect Your Concentrate: Don’t leave your bottle of concentrate outside. The label says to protect it from freezing and from extreme heat. I store my jug in my garage, on a high shelf away from my kids and pets. Freezing can cause the emulsion to separate, and extreme heat can degrade its potency over time.

Read More: Comparison Of Mother Earth Groundswell And Foxfarm Ocean Forest

Comparison With Other Brands

• Liquid Fence Vs. Plantskydd (Blood-Based):
  • The Core Difference: Liquid Fence uses a rotten egg (sulfur) and garlic scent.¹ Plantskydd, on the other hand, is a blood-based repellent. Its active ingredient is dried animal blood (porcine or bovine). This works by signaling “predator” in a different way—it smells like a fresh kill site.
  • Which Is Better?: Both are extremely effective. Plantskydd is famously sticky and often lasts longer than Liquid Fence, especially in the winter, as it’s not as water-soluble. However, it is messy. It’s a thick, reddish-brown sludge that can stain your hands, your sprayer, and light-colored plants. Liquid Fence is easier to spray and doesn’t stain, but you’ll have to apply it more often.
• Liquid Fence Vs. Deer Off (Scent And Taste):
  • A Very Similar Product: Deer Off is another popular brand that also uses putrescent egg solids as its primary ingredient. It’s a direct competitor. It also works by smell and taste and has a similar “smells bad at first” profile.
  • Which Is Better?: Honestly, it’s often a toss-up and comes down to which one is on sale. I’ve found Liquid Fence’s concentrate to be a better value, and I have a slight preference for its effectiveness. However, many gardeners swear by Deer Off. This is a good time to “try both” and see if your local deer population has a preference. Sometimes, rotating repellents can be effective.
• Liquid Fence Vs. Granular Repellents (Shake-On):
  • How They Work: Granular repellents (like Shake-Away, which uses fox or coyote urine) are designed to be shaken on the ground to create a perimeter. They don’t stick to the plants.
  • Which Is Better?: For plant-specific protection, Liquid Fence is infinitely better because it protects the leaf itself. Granulars are better for creating a wide barrier at the edge of your property or for protecting large vegetable beds where you don’t want to spray. I actually use both. I use Liquid Fence on my ornamentals and granulars around the perimeter of my entire yard.
• Liquid Fence Vs. Physical Barriers (Netting/Fencing):
  • The Only 100% Solution: Let’s be honest. The only thing that is 100% effective against deer is a 10-foot-tall fence. The only 100% protection for your vegetables from rabbits is a 2-foot-tall chicken wire fence buried 6 inches deep.
  • Which Is Better?: Physical barriers are effective but expensive and, in my opinion, ugly. I don’t want to look at my beautiful garden through a wall of black plastic netting. Liquid Fence is the best compromise. It gives me 95% of the protection while allowing my garden to actually look like a garden, not a maximum-security prison.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion

So, is Liquid Fence Deer and Rabbit Repellent worth it? Yes. A thousand times, yes. It is the single product that gave me my garden back. It’s not pleasant to apply, and it requires you to be diligent, but the results are undeniable. The joy of seeing your tulips bloom or your hostas reach full size without a single bite mark is worth the stinky application process. If you are at war with your backyard wildlife, this is the weapon you need. Buy the concentrate, buy a dedicated sprayer, and take your garden back.

I’ve learned a lot about how to create a “layered” defense for my garden. Would you like me to explain how I combine this spray with other methods, like planting deer-resistant plants?