A Christmas tree farmer, Jim Boswell, was having a difficult time with deer eating his evergreen trees. This third-generation farmer had to find a deer repellent that would work, or lose his business. Neighbors frowned on his use of shooting guns, and carrying a crossbow. Deer repellent sprays weren’t working either.

Repellent Review would have told Jim he’d probably need to use a combination of proven deer repellent techniques, as just spraying is not as effective. Well he did find a repellent that worked for him. The Critter Blaster Pro, an electronic repellent that produces annoying sounds such as beeps, whistles and screeching sounds. We searched ebay and found this repellent available for $488 to $594. For that price it should work great. It did!

This electronic deer repellent worked so well that his neighbors took him to court. Not only was it annoying the deer, but the neighbors too! Regarding his use of the repellent Mr. Boswell commented, ‘”I am just trying to make a living the old-fashioned way - by farming.”… Boswell’s family has been growing Christmas trees in the Skippack area since the 1940s. “I just want to sell my trees.”‘

Boswell believed he could legally use the deterrent. ‘Like other farming states, Pennsylvania has laws aimed at protecting agriculture. In 1982, as housing developments began eating away at suburban farmland, the state enacted the Right to Farm Act to protect farmers from new residents who might complain about the smells and sounds of farming in their developing neighborhoods.

The law states that any municipality with a nuisance ordinance must exempt agricultural operations that do not have a “direct, adverse effect on the public health and safety.”‘

The Critter Blaster Pro animal repellent can go as high as 112 decibels. Boswell claims he set it at 55 decibels. He’s still fighting his neighbors in court

Repellent Review would suggest using the Critter Blaster Pro electronic deer repellent device if you reside in a rural area with NO neighbors.

Scientists at the Agriculture Research Service (ARS) have confirmed that the beautyberry acts as a natural repellent against such bugs as ticks, ants, and mosquitoes. The beautyberry has long been a home remedy used to deter biting pests in such places as the hill country of Mississippi. Now, with this scientific finding, it’s hoped that the berry’s mosquito repelling qualities can be transformed into a mass-produced bug deterrent. Don’t get too excited yet though, this is still millions of dollars off. An economical production system will have to be established.

Scientific studies showed three chemicals responsible for repelling mosquitoes. Spathulenol, callicarpenal, and intermedeol were all extracted during the testing. By chance, one of the botanists at ARS learned about using beautyberry as a bug repellent when he was a child. The grandfather of Charles T. Bryson showed him how leaves from the beautyberry could be used to repel such insects as deerflies, mosquitoes, and horseflies. Crushing leaves of the beautyberry and placing them between the harness of a horse, and it’s skin, would protect the horse from flying pests. Crushing the leaves and rubbing them on his own skin had the same effect. Bugs were less likely to bite. Years later, a mention of this home remedy to a supervisor at ARS led to the scientific evaluation.

Involved in the repellent study, Charles Cantrell, a chemist at ARS confirmed that rubbing the leaves on his skin helped to prevent getting bit. Taking this home remedy repellent technique one step further, Cantrell and Jerry Klun, an entomologist at ARS, worked on the year long study. It was found mosquitoes carrying malaria and yellow fever could be deterred using the beautyberry plant.

While the results of this preliminary study are promising, more tests on the beautyberry will have to be conducted. A mass-produced insect repellent would be subject to EPA guidelines, and need to be cost-effective to produce. Until the beautyberry tests are finalized, repellents such as the Sunfeather spritzer, or Avon bug spray serve as natural, non-deet repellents.