Chemically Treated Grass as a Deer Repellent - Salisbury Maryland Airport

Numerous aircraft collisions with wildlife, primarily deer, happen each year at airports. To reduce the probability of such incidents, a test to discourage deer feeding on airport land using chemical treatment of grass was carried out. The chemicals used render the grass unpalatable to deer. Spotrete, a thiram based product, a known deer repellant, along with Pro-Tee 100, to provide long-lasting results was used at the Salisbury Airport (MD), to determine the effectiveness of keeping deer away from the runway and the immediate vicinity. The number and location of the deer on or near the runways were recorded before and after the application of the chemical. Observations
were recorded over a 5 month period, November 1978 to April 1979.  Grass samples were tested periodically for chemical content. The chemical remained on the grass longer than usual, however, it appeared that the treatment did not prevent deer from passing through the runway area.