Deer?????

[curly_kate]

Any time someone asks me how I keep the deer out of my garden, I tell them, "I've never had a deer problem." Well, I think I had some unwelcome visitors last night. The only thing I can't figure is why deer would only eat 3 pepper plants and 1 1/2 sweet potatoes amidst a smorgasbord of pretty green veggie plants. What do you guys think? Here are a few photos of the damage.

 

[big brown horse]

Someone said (sorry, I can't remember who ) tied "Irish Springs" bar soap to the trunks of her trees. She hadn't had a deer problem since.

 

[curly_kate]

I've heard about the Irish Spring trick. I don't have any trees near the garden, but maybe I can just grind it up & sprinkle it around. I've also heard dog fur works. Anyone had any luck with that?

 

[HiDelight]

OY the deer!!! I looked out my window after my husband dropped a very loud F bomb one day and there was a big fat buck taking an entire species of cherry off my 5 way cherry tree

Irish Spring does work they hate the smell of strong soap..also having neighbors with better stuff than you do helps because they get full before they get to you

I put up a fence and then hung dryer sheets off it one time and it worked great they came up to the fence and walked right away...kept the yellow jackets away but got spendy replacing them everytime it rained they would loose the smell I guess

the other thing is putting hair from people haircuts or emptying your brushes around the area ...

and peeing around the fence line is supposed to work as well

everything works until it doesnt ..good luck to you!!!!

I love the beautiful romantic look of them but as you can see (in one of the flicker sites below in my sig) ours are just big fat and greedy!!!!

 

[jlmann]

The deer have been in my garden already too. I have electric fencing but haven't turned it on yet. There are some commercial sprays available that are made with capsascin (sp?) but I've been thinking of running some Habanero peppers through the blender and making my own spray. Besides the soap , hair and pee I've also heard of cracking a couple of dozen raw eggs in a bucket and letting them get good and rotten and then putting this in several places around your garden. The deer get used to stuff like this really fast though. I fight with the dang things every year so I'm pretty much resigned to just planting extra so they don't wipe me out completely! Good luck! They will definately get on your nerves.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I tried the Habenero sauce. They just wait until it rains. I've actually been very lucky in my garden. The most damage they do is breaking off a zucchini or knocking over a tomato plant just by walking through. One did eat a young cabbage last year. I see the tracks where they walk through, but they don't seem to eat there.

Where I have problems with them is they love certain of my young trees. Pears, Cherries, Mulberry, Pecan, English Walnut, and Maple seem to be at the top of the list. They walk by apple, peach, plum, almond, and hazel nut to get to these. I wound up fencing the ones they like after they killed a few. I've tried dog hair, putting up monofilament fishing line they can't see, the Habenero sauce, a few things. I never tried the soap. What I tried seemed to work for a short while, maybe two or three weeks, then they figured out it will not hurt them. I think the term is adaptable.

 

[RedClayGardener]

Hey Kate! I am suprised you have a problem with Spooky around. We have deer in the field next to us who have never touched my garden. I thought it was the dog hair that I sprinkled in there BUT based on what other people have said maybe it is because Dixie uses the bathroom between the field and the garden. Maybe this has been warding them off all along. Can you train Spooky to go around the garden? Or maybe your DH? We are planning a trip home in July, we are going to try and come see you finally!

 

[Beekissed]

Citronella oil on a rag lasts a long time and really repels animals of all kinds...dogs, cats, deer, etc. Won't repel chickens, though!

 

[curly_kate]

Spooky is shedding like mad, so I'm collecting her fur to spread around. I guess I should be thankful, and keep my fingers crossed, because so far they've only nibbled on the sweet potatoes. Makes me wonder if it's something smaller like rabbits? Or squirrels - it looks like 2 have finally set up shop in one of our trees in the front yard, even though this is the first time I've seen a squirrel on our property. I would just think that the deer would have eaten more.

Beekissed - do you hang the rags around the garden?

 

[bestromann]

Have you ever try "scarecrow sprinkler"? humane way to keep deer from disturbing your yard and garden without the use of complicated traps or potentially hazardous chemicals. The sprinkler combines a surprise spray of water with unexpected motion and noise to create a safe, effective deterrent to unwanted visitors, helping keep your garden looking its best.

When the Scarecrow detects a deer heat and movement, senses the same security lights detect people in a 1,000 square foot area day and night, it instantly releases a short but startling burst of water. The sudden spray of water and the movement and noise of the sprinkler scares deer away.

Perhaps you would like to visit my blog next time: http://scarecrowsprinkler.blogspot.com/ It;s about scarecrow sprinkler video reviews, tips&tricks.