How to protect trees with Trico, a natural animal repellent

How we use Trico, a natural deer repellent, to ward off animals that love to graze and munch the leaves of young trees in our forests.

When Trico is applied to trees it temporarily gives leaves a white colour.

Trees are at their most vulnerable when they are young, so it’s important to protect them from hungry animals and pests, especially deer. That’s why we recommend Trico, a natural repellent that keeps those animals away without harming them or the trees. Here’s where, how and when to use Trico.

What is Trico and what does it do?

Trico is a spray made from sheep fat that is completely natural and easy to use. The taste and smell repels animals who want to graze on leaves. It’s most effective if you spray it either pure or diluted on small trees and young plants.

Because Trico is a natural repellent, you can be confident using it as part of your approach to sustainable forestry and organic farming. We also know that it is used in nurseries and on vines.

Our team of foresters here at EcoTree apply Trico to dry plants in good weather so that it has time to adhere to the leaves. The saplings will then be able to withstand any bad weather that comes along later.

Trico works well for four to six months. We typically apply the repellent to our young plants twice a year – once in the spring and then again when planting season arrives in autumn. It means we don’t have to worry about those pesky grazing animals throughout the year.

How Trico helps us manage our forests

We don’t need to use deer repellent on all silvicultural plots. But in those patches of forest where the deer population is strong, it’s a question of survival for the youngest, most vulnerable trees.

Some of those trees in EcoTree forests grow through natural regeneration and others are planted by our team. We tend to plant new trees when the massif is too damaged or when we want to help nature do its thing more quickly. In all cases, we apply Trico because we don’t want to lose our saplings.

When a young plant only has a few leaves, they are all essential. They are needed for the process of photosynthesis, which helps produce the vital sap that gives them nourishment. And it’s the leaves that absorb and store the CO2 which allows each tree to grow.

Natural repellant respects all nature

EcoTree’s silvicultural approach to forest management means we love nature and respect it in all forms. Using Trico is about moving deer and other animals to find food elsewhere – it causes them no harm and helps us sustain the forest ecosystem. Nor does it affect the quality of the tree or its ability to grow.

Ultimately, Trico is effective because deer don't like the taste and smell of sheep fat – that’s how a natural repellent works. You could even argue that by using Trico, our foresters imitate nature, because some leaves can change taste to steer away animals that want to graze.