Some people are simply annoyed by backyard pests like ticks, mosquitoes, and deer. Not Kurt Upham! The founder of ohDEER has made them the main focus of his life.
As a kid, he loved bugs and things other people might find “gross.” When he wasn’t outdoors, he was pouring over books and encyclopedias learning as much as he could about insects, wildlife, and especially deer.
He got a degree in horticulture and studied entomology in college and soon thereafter put his education and passions to work in landscape construction and maintenance, first with Upham Landscape Company, and later with the prestigious MacDowell Company, known for its elegant landscape design and architecture.
In 2006 while still with MacDowell, he came up with the idea for ohDEER. He was spraying deer repellent but wasn’t satisfied with the results of the commercial repellents available. He began experimenting at home with his own solutions for a deer repellent, using only natural ingredients.
Those early days in his basement soon bore fruit, and Kurt was ready to test his new product. He sprayed a customer’s apple trees with his own all-natural deer control spray, and waited. The deer ceased feeding on the apple trees for more than three weeks! He had finally proven that a safe and natural solution could deliver real, lasting results.
As word-of-mouth quickly spread and people began seeking out “the ohDEER guy,” Kurt decided to concentrate on his new venture full-time. His ever-ringing phone proved he’d made the right choice. He continued to fine-tune his proprietary blend of deer repellent, carefully honing it to produce the great results his customers have come to depend on today.
It was only fitting that Kurt branched out into tick and mosquito control and this decision yielded similar great results. The rest is ohDEER history.
