browsing damage within a block was lower where 

 soap bars were present than with empty wrappers. 

 Researchers did not find any significant differences 

 in repellency among the various brands of bar soap 

 they tested, even though subtle variations in the 

 amount of browsing damage incurred were noted 

 (Table 1). Distance away from a test device was an 

 important characteristic relative to the success of 

 the repellent; effectiveness of both soap and wrap- 

 pers decreased with increasing distance (greater 

 than 1 yard) from the test device. 



Implications for Growers 



With regard to the brands of soap tested in this 

 study, none proved to be much better or worse 

 overall in its ability to repel browsing deer. How- 

 ever, these researchers noted that the lack of de- 

 tected differences among brands may be due, in part, 

 to the relatively low level of browsing pressure in 

 their test orchards. They advised that cost may be a 

 better determining factor rather than brand for 

 those growers thinking of implementing a control 

 program using soap as a repellent. 



More importantly, the spacing of soap bars was 



critical in determining the level of effectiveness 

 realized. These researchers recommend using a 

 spacing of 1 yard between bars throughout the or- 

 chard. Therefore, some of the earlier recommenda- 

 tions offered to growers (e.g., 1 bar for each produc- 

 ing tree in a row and 1 bar for every other young, 

 non-producing tree in a row) may not provide suffi- 

 cient protection against browsing damage. 



At the recommended 1-yard spacing, approxi- 

 mately 1200 bars of soap/acre would be needed to 

 provide adequate protection. At $0.39/bar for a 3.5- 

 oz bar, the estimated cost/acre would be $470, or 

 $530 including labor (at $6/hour). In contrast, at 

 $0.05/bar for a 0.5-oz bar of soap, as some growers 

 have been using, the cost/ acre would be reduced to 

 $60, or $120 with labor. These researchers provided 

 no indication of whether smaller bars of soap per- 

 form as well as larger ones do, but the useable life 

 expectency of smaller bars certainly would be 

 shorter (depending upon weather conditions). 



In addition, these researchers did not provide 

 any indication of whether or not a combination of 

 soap bars and empty wrappers, alternately spaced at 

 1 meter, would provide reasonable protection, but at 

 a much reduced cost than using all soap. These 

 questions need to be addressed in the near future. 



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Fruit Notes, Fall, 1990 



