Even if you love animals, unwanted wildlife in your garden can cause chaos. From damaging your plants to rifling through your compost pile, they are referred to as ‘pests’ for a reason. But how do you stop them coming to your backyard? Finding a natural way to repel animals is the best option. Avoiding using synthetic chemicals makes it more ecofriendly – and generally cheaper. It’s a win-win. There are different options but it doesn’t come more natural than urine! So, does human urine repel animals? Well, it depends largely on the animal you are aiming to repel. Let’s have a closer look.
Does human urine repel rats?
Even if the old adage that ‘you will never be more than six feet away from a rat’ isn’t true, they are still very common! And it makes sense, your backyard has everything that they need – why would it need to set up home anywhere else? Unfortunately, according to Brooklyn Botanic Garden there is no evidence to suggest that human urine repels rats. Instead, they recommend simply making your backyard less hospitable for rats so they don’t set up home there. Remove dense areas of plants that provide shelter for them and suchlike.
Does human urine repel mice?
Mice do not appear to have any fear response when human urine is present. So unfortunately, peeing in your garden won’t repel them! It is thought that since we are not their natural predators, they know they do not need to avoid us and our scents. On the other hand, foxes are a natural predator to mice – so fox urine is much more likely to deter them. This forms the basis of some commercially available pest repellents.
Does human urine repel cats?
If the local cats like to gather in your backyard you may want to try urine to keep them away. Morning urine (likely to be the most potent of the day) is said to act as a repellent to some cats. Male urine is thought to be the most effective, but female urine works too. Although some gardeners are convinced it is a great natural repellent, many have found no benefit. But hey, you’ve got nothing to lose!
Does human urine repel foxes?
Beautiful to look at but a nightmare for gardeners, foxes cause mayhem in backyards across the country. They’ll dig up your flower beds, create burrows and eat your veg patch. Male foxes set up territories. Human urine can sometimes prevent this – and stop all of the above happening.
Human male urine distributed around the perimeter of the garden will cover the strong smell of the foxes urine. This can send them packing. However, for this to be a long term solution you (or a willing man) will need to do this regularly.
Does human urine repel deer?
It is widely debated in the hunting world – whether peeing attracts them or scares them away. Some hunters hold in their pee to prevent the deer running away. Others take advantage of the natural curiosity of the deer who they believe are attracted to new scents in their territory. When it comes to deer and human urine, whether it repels them or not is not known for sure. Maybe just put a fence up.
Any downsides to urine as an animal repellent?
The main downside is that human urine does not repel many animals. And it could even attract some. Not much point repelling a cat if you attract a deer!
Also, it is not as simple as going out into your garden and having a pee, unfortunately. Urine contains a whole host of ingredients. Excess amounts of nitrogen and inorganic salts, which feature heavily in urine, are not great for your plants. You can prevent excess nitrogen damage by diluting the urine with water – the advice varies for 1 part urine to 10 to 15 parts water. The potency of urine varies between individuals so there is no fixed textbook dilution amount – very much a trial and error process. Much like experimenting with human pee in the garden generally is!
As well as stopping the urine harming your plants it will also totally eliminate any chance of being able to smell the pee in your garden. Although, this is not overly likely – unless you pee liters on your garden. Everyday.
The bottom line
The evidence for human urine repelling animals is not compelling. In many cases it is based largely on ‘my friend swears by..’ arguments. But since it doesn’t cost anything, and it’s harmless (if diluted), it is worth giving it a go before you opt for other chemical-based commercial alternatives. You might well be the person that ends up swearing by it!
