Plantskydd was originally developed in Sweden to protect their large tree plantations while remaining in compliance with their firm environmental laws, now it is produced in the United States. It is a dried blood-based (porcine or bovine) animal repellent that contains no synthetic additives and therefore is the first animal repellent to be listed by the OMRI the Organic Materials Review Institute making it suitable in the production of organic food and organic gardening by the USDA. In the United States, “dried blood” is an EPA (Environmental and Protection Agency) exempted product/minimum risk pesticide. The science behind it is simple. Plantskydd is an order based repellent that prey animals associate with the smell of predatory activity triggering a fear-based response causing the prey animal to avoid the associated areas. The National wildlife Research Center has found that over 20 products tested “repellents with active ingredients that emitted sulfurous odors i.e., blood meal or egg solids, generally provided the best results.” Not only that but because Plantskydd’s active ingredient is blood-based it also a source of fertilizer in the form of nitrogen. A farmer from Pennsylvania had this to say after the use of it “I normally harvest 5 or 6,000 lbs of the corn every year but I didn’t know how much I was losing until I harvested 20,000 lbs of sweet corn on my 2 acres after using Plantskydd last summer. And that’s with a single application.” Furthermore the repellent is rain and snow resistant and does not require for immediate re-application after rain or snow fall. Prime application occurs in before animal browsing begins-in spring or fall and treat new growth during the active growing season or every 3 to 6 weeks. Granular can be applied anytime and reapplied every 4 to 6 weeks and must be watered to active. Liquid concentrate is most effective against large herbivores such as deer, and comes in pre-mixed or concentrate and granular is most effective against small herbivores such as rabbits or voles.
