This spring, the luck o’ the Irish will keep your garden safe. If you’re concerned about pesky rabbits, deer and other herbivores munching on your trees and plants, look no further than Irish Spring soap.   Irish Spring smells wonderful, but there is more to this soap than its great scent.

Irish Spring soap can also be used as a repellent for your garden.

Mammals like rabbits and deer find the stench of Irish Spring soap loathsome, so it works as a perfect deterrent. And because the soap is rainproof, you don’t have to worry about it turning to suds as soon as it gets wet.
Gardening stores sell a variety of deer and rabbit repellents, but most are topical treatments that must be applied after each rain or even heavy dew and, typically, they’re expensive. In comparison, a pack of 12 bars of Irish Spring costs roughly around $13.

Here are the instructions for using Irish Spring as a repellent:

  1. Cut the bars into small pieces and drop the pieces into drawstring pouches. (You can also use cheesecloth if you don’t have any drawstring pouches available to you.)
  2. Secure the pouch by drawing the strings tightly and using a staple gun, staple the pouches to wooden stakes.
  3. Drive the stakes into the ground in 5 to 10 foot increments around the perimeter of your garden, placing more stakes around the heavy-traffic areas.
  4. For further protection, you can also sprinkle a few smaller chunks right on the ground.

Not sure what’s causing the damage? Inspect the leaves. Insects leave serrated edges on half-eaten leaves. But mammals, like rabbits, leave a clean cut or devour the foliage completely.

Irish Spring won’t keep away insects, but it will work to keep out deer and rabbits. And there’s one more added bonus: its strong aroma will add a pleasant, fresh scent to your outdoor area!

For more information using Irish Spring as a repellent, watch the video:

Sources:
Curbly
America Now
SFGate