Deer defense done right

Mitch Allen • May 12, 2026

The best time to use En Garde Deer Defense was last year. The second best time? NOW!

A large, weathered, vintage-style metal sign reading

“But to deer, the odor is irritating and triggers an instinct that makes them think a predator is in the area.”


As an avid genealogist, I regularly explore 1800s-era newspapers, searching for family stories and ancestor obituaries. As a newspaper guy, I also get a kick out of the accompanying outlandish vintage ads. Before the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, advertisers in these papers could claim anything. The pages are filled with concoctions, elixirs, oils, and emulsions promising every imaginable health benefit. I’ve even seen ads for cigarettes that improve asthma and body soaps that wash away fat (if only it were so easy).


Stricter laws helped for a hundred years, but then came the internet, where similar ads for all kinds of products have returned in modern form, including pitches from “influencers.”


Take deer deterrent sprays, for example. The internet is full of recipes for homemade concoctions that promise results using simple ingredients like hair, bath soaps, and coyote urine. In truth, these magic elixirs are not effective. And even if they were, you’d have to stay on top of spraying your plants all the time.


“This is exactly how most of our customers find us,” says Jeff Ardo, founder of En Garde Deer Defense, the highly rated deer deterrent spray service. “They’ve tried almost every homemade remedy and every off-the-shelf potion, but nothing works. So they either give up on the dream of attractive landscaping, or they hear about us and schedule their free trial.”


Why En Garde Is Different

If you live near a park, golf course, or other wooded area that is home to deer, it doesn’t mean you can’t have beautiful landscaping plants, including daylilies, tulips, hostas, hydrangeas, hyacinths, roses, geraniums, and more—all species we love and deer do, too. All you need to do is contact En Garde.


Jeff, a true scholar of deer habitats and behavior, started his company nine years ago after his own frustrations with deer damage, and it’s been growing rapidly ever since. “We’re growing because our service works and our customer service rocks,” Jeff assures. “And it works because we use a proprietary deer deterrent spray that’s safe, natural and effective.”


So why can’t we just buy his spray in a home improvement store?


“That would be nice,” Jeff explains, “but it’s just not possible. The unique ingredients are what make our spray work so well, and those ingredients cannot be stored on a shelf without the formula becoming super smelly and so thick that it becomes unsprayable in a commercial backpack sprayer. That’s why we mix our spray fresh every morning. It’s weather-resistant, transparent and virtually odorless to humans. But to deer—with their keen sense of smell—the odor is irritating and triggers an instinct that makes them think a predator is in the area.”


The spray itself is only part of En Garde’s success. Knowing when, where, how, and what to spray is equally important. “Our spray technicians are incredibly qualified to do their jobs,” Jeff says. “Each tech is trained to identify 150 plant species and their level of vulnerability to deer damage, and our new employees undergo a four- to six-week, hands-on, in-the-field apprenticeship with me before being allowed to work alone. Training also includes a final test to achieve certification, covering plants, deer behavior, spraying techniques, and questions clients may have. To be truly effective, we have to think like a deer.”


Get Started with a Free Trial

Jeff is so confident in his service that he offers something few other companies do: a FREE TRIAL. As a result, your first spray costs you nothing and there is no obligation to continue. However, once customers see that the service really works, most property owners sign up for ongoing service.

Jeff’s crews can handle a limited number of free trials during the spring—the busiest part of the season—so it’s a good idea to schedule your own free trial as soon as possible.


EnGarde Deer Defense

440-447-0022

EGDeerDefense.com

A large, weathered, vintage-style metal sign reading

Jeff Ardo’s (center) En Garde Deer Defense’s spray technicians are trained to identify 150 different species of plants vulnerable to deer damage. And new employees undergo a four- to six-week, hands-on, in-the-field apprenticeship before being allowed to work alone.


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