Repellency of Deer Away Big Game Repellent registered to Eastern Cottontail Rabbits

Abstract

Deer Away Big Game Repellent® (BGR) effectively deters browsing deer, most likely by the release of sulfur odors and volatile fatty acids. Because many herbivores avoid these odors, a logical inference is that BGR may repel herbivores other than deer. To address this possibility, we tested whether BGB was repellent to eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus ). During fall-winter of 1994-95, we located 4 test sites (0.4-2.0 ha) in commercial nurseries in southern New Jersey Different sites were planted to flowering pear (Pyrus callcryana), dogwood (Cornus florida), firebush (Pyracantha coccinca), and crab apple (Malus spp.). We split each site into 2 plots (0.2-1.0 ha), and plots then were randomly assigned to the treatment or control condition. After recording the number of damaged plants in each plot, we applied a 32.4% (mass/volume ) solution of BGR to treated plots at the labeled rate of 3.8 L/400 plants. We applied water alone to plants in control plots. During a 21-day posttreatment period, we reassessed damage at 7-day intervals. During fall-winter of 1995-96 e repeated treatment and control applications, except that conditions were reversed (i.e former control plots were treated with BGR and vice versa) We estimated rabbit numbers at each site during both years of the study and chemically evaluated the environmental persistence of BGR during the first year. Big Game Repellent was an effective repellent at all sites during both years of the study. These findings are consisten with the possibility that BGR represents all omnibus repellent for problem herbivores.