Effectiveness of Lavandula Scents in Deterring Odocoileus virginianus and Cervus canadensis from Harming Agricultural Crops

Overview

Each year deer and elk cause millions of dollars of damage to crops across Idaho. To reduce this impact, farmers are looking for non-lethal ways to keep them away. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of lavender essential oil as a deer and elk deterrent. Home gardeners use lavender plants as a deer and elk deterrent because the strong smell negatively affects their ability to sense predators, assess the environment, and smell food. If the lavender scent proves effective, farmers could plant a perimeter of lavender around their fields to deter deer and elk. I set up two experimental sites and two control sites. Each had a salt block attractant and a game camera to track deer and elk visits. Each experimental site had a diluted mixture of lavender essential oil poured in a three meter circle around the salt block to create a scent barrier. I compared the number of visits per day to the sites with the deterrent compared to the control. My data from both experimental sites show a lower average deer visitation than at the control sites; however, only one experimental site was shown to be significantly different than the control with a p-value of 0.01. In conclusion, I found that the data supported my hypothesis that lavender scent is an effective deterrent. In future work, I will look at the effectiveness of a lavender plant perimeter around a crop field as well as the possible impacts of lavender on cattle digestive systems.