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blackrag

Adding Deer Repellent to a spray application?

15 years ago

Would there be a reason not to add to the tank something like "deer off" or rotten egg mixture to a insecticide or fungicide application? I always wonder if I am offsetting one's effectiveness by the other if applications are close together...And yes, I can be very, very lazy. Chad

Comments (5)

  • 15 years ago

    There are very good reasons to tank mix sprays, none of which are laziness.

    For farmers who use air blast sprayers, it takes fuel and water to spray large acreages. It's a waste of both to make multiple passes when the same could be achieved in one pass. Labor and equipment run-time are also legitimate reasons to try to minimize field runs.

    Also if more than one compound is needed to control pests, there is some risk multiple passes with a full dilute spray could wash off some of the crop protectant from the previous pass.

    Crop protectants as well as foliar fertilizers can generally be tank mixed.

    That said, I would not tank mix a product like Deer Off with a pesticide application. Many (or most) pesticides break down faster in the presence of organic matter. One could argue there isn't a difference between mixing the two in the tank vs. spraying one immediately after another on the foliage, but I think there might be a difference. I think the reaction might be more accelerated in solution vs. on the dry leaf.

    Carbamates break down rapidly in alkaline solution, but once dry on the leaf, alkaline degradation stops (or so I've been told).

  • 15 years ago

    This makes sense and why I visit & search this site daily. Thank You.
    Chad

  • 15 years ago

    Hi BlackRag-
    What Olpea says makes sense. But, apparently my ignorance was/is bliss, because I often mix my fungicide sprays with my deer sprays. For example, I'll mix my Immunox and Liquid Fence on one spray. And then Immunox, Triazicide, and Deer Out on the next spray. And maybe some Triazicide, Agristrep, and Deer out on the spray after that. I've never noticed any ill effects from doing this. The Immunox still gives me complete control of CAR and scab. The Trazicide still kills the bugs. The Deer Spray still keeps away the deer. The Agristrep still wards off the fire blight.
    That said, Olpea knows what he's talking about, so I'd listen to him over me!
    -Glenn

  • 15 years ago

    Glenn,

    I was speaking somewhat from a theoretical perspective. While it's true most pesticides break down more rapidly (or bind) to organic matter rendering them less effective, I've no experience mixing pesticides with Deer Off.

    I mentioned I wouldn't try mixing the two, based on a logical extension of the above, but since you've actually tried it, and found no adverse effects, mixing the two may not be a big deal.

    Perhaps the pesticide degradation I spoke of above is minimal in the presence of Deer Off.

    I'd take your good anecdotal observations over my theoretical inferences any day.

  • 15 years ago

    Thanks Olpea-
    I'm not positive, but I suspect I would have posted here before I tried this originally... but I've been spraying (combining my pesticide and deer Out/Liquid Fence) for 4 or 5 years now, so I can't really remember. And, indeed laziness may be my primary motivation!

    OK then Chad... It sounds like it's up to you. Maybe start the practice with one tree as an experiment and then work your way up. Then report back here and we'll all learn!
    Thanks,
    -Glenn