Keeping Your Plants From Being Deer Snacks

You have enough trouble with a home garden; the last thing you need is a deer munching on your flowers or vegetables. But what is the best way to enforce your boundaries without hurting the animal? Many people think fences would be enough, but a fence that reaches chest height on an average sized person is still low enough for a deer to easily jump. Therefore fences and ‘guards’ do nothing unless you build them 14′ high. You can use a deer repellent, preferably a taste based deer repellent like Deer Guard.

As with most other animals, deer are very sensitive to smell. They are a comparatively docile form of wildlife and run away at the first sign of a predator. The urine of a predator is the best way to mark your territory–but there is something about walking around with a spray can of urine in your hand and spraying it around your garden. How about the edible stuff?

However, if you don’t happen to have any wolf urine readily available, you can find a realistic imitation. Many gardening companies make chemical sprays designed to keep away certain animals by smelling like the urine of their most dangerous predators.

They also hate high pitched noises. Blowing a dog whistle is enough to drive them crazy, or you can invest in an automatic whistle that will sound every time a deer comes around. The latter option is best, since that way you won’t have to run to the window every time you imagine a noise in the back yard.

Less expensive options can be just as good, however. Chopped garlic or hot peppers are enough to deter some humans, let alone a deer! Bars of Dove soap hung over plants are talismans to repulse deer. Anything with a strong scent is probably fair game: moth balls, ammonia, and vinegar to name a few.

One other way to go is to plant plants that deer find distasteful; if you surround your valuable plants with these, the deer may not even get close enough to your garden to find the palatable plants. This technique is called ‘deeroscaping, ‘ meaning your yard has been fashioned to deter deer by the usage of plants. These plants include any ornamental grasses, sage, verbena, spearmint, or mums. There are plenty more.

These are all good steps for summer months when other food is readily available; deer won’t bother with your heinous yard when there are plenty of other peaceful, nice-smelling places to eat. In the winter, though, deer do not have the luxury of being picky. They can and will eat anything they can find. You may have to use ALL of these steps in the winter.

Are you having trouble with deer? Then deer repellent is the best way to go. On the Internet, you can find a large variety deer repellent recipes that will help get rid of those creatures.