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In the past, rural homeowners would find it interesting to see deer roaming around. Nowadays, it’s more likely that they’ll get angry as these wild animals start eating their flowers, shrubs, or trees. In many areas, deer have become such a problem that they’re destroying landscaping at people’s homes and businesses.
The primary destroyer is the whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus), now present in every state east of the Mississippi River as well as some areas of Arizona. However, even if a state is west of the Mississippi River, they’re not in the clear since western states must also deal with Odocoileus hemionus (mule deer) which can be just destructive to landscapes.
Deer will eat a variety of veggies, fruit, and blooming plants like tomato plants and dill, and they’ll frequently munch on every hosta, azalea, tulip, lily, or pansy in the garden. Deer may chew off the bark and branches of expensive shrubs and trees in harsh environments when other food sources are limited. The deer are quick to adjust to humans, and they’ve been observed munching away on backyard bushes while homeowners sit at a picnic table only feet away. To make matters worse, deer may spread a variety of illnesses in many areas.
Deer are a serious problem for many homeowners, as they undermine the pleasant aesthetics of their properties. With so many deer in Colorado, it’s no wonder that residents are searching for effective ways to keep them out of their yards.
Deer repellants are available that claim to keep deer out of your yard. The best ones, which are often marketed as broad-action repellants that work against a variety of species, include real or simulated predator urine. Repellants such as chili peppers, blood meal extracts, or rotten egg chemicals are used. Whatever the source is, a repellant spray must be re-applied to plants after every rain for optimum deer deterrence. Furthermore, scent repellants should be applied to any branches up to 6 feet above the ground in order to be effective.
It’s advisable to have many different scent formulations on hand and swap them out periodically to prevent deer from becoming accustomed and immune to any one odor.
There are many different home-made scent repellants that have been tried against deer, some with more success than others. These include: hanging fabric softener strips or bars of scented soap from trees; spraying plants with mixtures of hot pepper, garlic, and rotten eggs; placing ammonia-soaked rags around the landscape; or laying blood meal or bags of human hair around the garden.
Deer are naturally cautious, and a wind turbine, solar-powered “scarecrow” devices, or motion-activated lights may help keep them at bay. Even wind chimes can deter deer. There are also ultrasonic sound-makers driven by tiny solar cells that operate on the movement of objects and emit sounds when activated by motion sensors. Deer can’t hear the high-pitched sound, but it’s extremely annoying to them. When these ultrasonic gadgets detect movement, they also activate a flashing strobe light.
Deer can also be deterred by water sprinklers linked to motion sensors. However, don’t expect simple watering timers to work, as deer quickly learn to alter their feeding schedule in response to the irrigation cycle.
Your local County Extension agent’s office may help you choose deer-resistant plants that are appropriate to your region’s growing conditions. However, be advised that when the weather gets particularly tough, deer will eat just about any plant as a source of food.
Plants with fuzzy or silky foliage, such as lamb’s ear, yarrow, squash, and pumpkins, are known to repel deer. Plants with fragrant flowers that deer find odd include mint, rosemary, Russian sage, lavender, peonies, boxwood, onion garlic , and garlic.
While yarrow, ferns, poppies, daffodils, foxglove, and snowdrops taste bitter to deer and may keep them away from your garden, be aware that some of these plants are also poisonous to other animals if consumed.
Deer tend to avoid plants with rough, fibrous, or leathery leaves. Pachysandra, iris, and lavender are generally deer-resistant in mild situations, but only under severe conditions are they vulnerable to deer. Deer also avoid plants with spines or thorns; if your garden is infested by deer, planting barberry bushes and globe thistle and acanthus in flower beds is a smart idea. Deer likewise flee from ornamental grasses and sedges with pointed edges that are difficult to digest.
Finally, gray or silver-leafed plants appear to repel deer. Lungwort, dusty miller, Russian sage, and lamb’s ear are examples of weeds that deer avoid without even sampling.
If you don’t want deer to visit your yard, avoid planting fruit trees and bushes, as well as ground fruits such as strawberries. If you have already planted these types of plants or feel like you must in the future, try to position them close to your house. Usually, deer are more skittish around humans if they’re closer to our homes.
If you truly need to keep deer out of your garden, the only effective option might be sturdy fence in locations where deer are numerous. Metal or black polypropylene mesh should ideally be at least 8 feet tall and used for fencing. Supplies can be found at home improvement and garden stores. Some stores will even have ready-made fence kits available, including everything you’ll need.
Traditional chain link or wood fencing can be used as well, but only if it is high enough. Deer will easily jump over a 6-foot fence, but a 4-foot wood fence usually does the trick—possibly because deer feel nervous when they can’t see what’s on the other side.
One way to keep the animals out of areas where they don’t belong (such as your garden) is with a gate or post that keeps them from getting any closer to the area you want to be protected. This type of barrier has many names, including “deer stop,” “deer post,” “deer fencing”, “deer fence posts,” or simply “deer pole.”
Almost any dog can be a deer deterrent, especially if it is not a deer chaser. Even if your dog isn’t a deer hunter, the scent of dog urine in an area may deter deer in many circumstances. But be cautious about how much barking you allow your dog to do as it chases a deer, since this might be more irritating for neighbors than the animal itself.
Deer are attracted to a region for one primary reason: tasty and nutritious plant species. If deer are plentiful in the area, any landscape that offers delectable and nutritional vegetation—with no apparent hazards—is likely to draw them.
The simplest method to keep deer out of your garden is to prevent them from obtaining the food they desire, as well as creating an impression of danger. Plant species that are known to be eaten by deer should not be used in landscaping designs. Because deer will happily eat birdseed and dried corn set out for other animals, avoid feeding other creatures such as birds and squirrels. And, of course, use the five techniques outlined above.
