Freakin' deer are eating my mcintosh apples!

[tomatokate]

There used to be, like, twelve little developing apples between my two trees, but the deer around here cleared one tree completely, and snipped off a couple from my other tree! MRAH!!! How can I fence them inexpensively, but deer-proof-ly?

 

[vfem]

I would think bird netting would be good enough and probably cheaper then fencing?! I'm just guessing though, I haven't had to deter deer from our trees yet.

 

[miron28]

i used milorganite around my plants i would pour a line about 8 - 10 feet away from my hibiscus and they wouldn't come nere it i read it in a book some were and it seemed to work i think it is the smell they don't like but it worked like a charm!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I built a "fence" using three treated 8 foot long 2x4's and some cheap plastic fencing material, but my trees are pretty small. You might need four 2x4's. I'm not trying to protect fruit, just keep them from killing the trees. I tried protecting the newly planted trees with an Habenero sauce, but the deer just waited until it rained. A cherry and mulberry died and I lost a full year's growth on my pear trees.

I used those 3/4" chicken wire staples to connect the fencing everywhere but at the last connection. I tied that with string or wire so I can open it up to work around the tree if I need to, such as mulching. Most weed-pulling and such I can do by reaching under the plastic fencing.

 

[JohnL11935]

Keep in mind that deer will easily jump a 6' fence. 8' is your best bet. The only time 6' is o.k. is if it is a solid fence. They generally won't jump over where they can't see the landing area.

One of my compost bins 6' square is surrounded by 6' high chicken wire. I routinely find hoof prints where they jump the wire to paw around the compost.

 

[Debby]

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry to say that I've had some experience with deer damage. Boy do I feel your pain and frustration. Manys the time I couldn't curse loud enough or throw the shovel far enough to get the anger off my chest after finding a lovely young tree tortured or mutilated by deer.

Here's a link to a product that I just found out about. I don't consider it terribly cheap, but you might find it interesting just the same.

http://wirelessdeerfence.com/wdf/index.html

I've just bought a box of three of them, which with shipping is about $25. Not cheap, but its another tool in the deer war toolbox. I can't say yet how much it will work, but it was recommended to me by a gardener in NJ where the deer damage had left her garden pretty much scorched earth. It was clearly working for her when I saw her flower beds in May.

I haven't really found a solution. No one thing works all the time. Dogs are a commitment, but work really well if you are a pet lover and there is a dog door and an underground fence. That's $$$ and a dog can do some damage, too. Individual fence rings make it difficult to weed or pick off bugs and the trees tend to get beaten up pretty badly as the wind blows the leaves against the fence. And deer repellents have to be refreshed frequently and I find I need to switch to new "flavors" from time to time or the deer grow used to them. I haven't tried bird netting, but it could work if you don't have a NJ level of deer pressure. Its insane over there. Maybe use it with some repellent.

I have an electric horse fence and have extended a single strand around the lawn/garden bed part of my property. It is by no means deer tight, but it slows down the traffic considerably.

Human hair or deoderant soap never worked for me one bit.

Good luck,

Debby

 

[Ridgerunner]

Keep in mind that deer will easily jump a 6' fence. 8' is your best bet. The only time 6' is o.k. is if it is a solid fence. They generally won't jump over where they can't see the landing area.

One of my compost bins 6' square is surrounded by 6' high chicken wire. I routinely find hoof prints where they jump the wire to paw around the compost.

Good point. My area inside the fence is so small, they don't have room to land.

 

[patandchickens]

Unless you are up for considerable expense and don't mind seeing an 8' mesh fence, your best bet is electric fencing. It needn't be tall if it is designed with deer in mind, a couple *parallel* strands will do it pretty well if they are at the right height and spacing.

If you don't want to use electric or this is just a small corner of your yard and it isn't practical, all I can really say is either get a dog to leave loose in your yard, or you can *try* hanging bars of Irish Spring or Cashmere soap from the branches (several half-bars per tree, you can tie them in old mesh onion bags) which can work if the deer are not real intent on your apples but is not reliable if they *are*.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[big brown horse]

They don't seem to like to crawl under fences, so if you put up a 4-5 foot field fence with a few 8 foot t-posts, you could leave a gap from the ground up (so you won't have to buy a taller and more expensive field fence) and turn a 4-5 foot fence into a 6 foot fence.

Hope this fancy diagram helps.
---------------------------------------
-------------------------------------- fence can go over the t-post
+-------------------------------------
+-------------------------------------
+------------------------------------
+-------------------------------------
+-------------------------------------
+-------------------------------------
+
+ gap from ground to bottom of fence
+ <--t-post
+__________________________________________ground

 

[me&thegals]

This sounds too good to be true, but we're in big-time deer country and had huge problems with them eating the growing tips off ALL the fruit trees and rubbing their horns on the bark.

Take old panty hose, stick in 1 bar of Irish Spring soap into each and tie it onto the tree. We have had NO deer damage in 2-3 years now since doing this. The best part is it is reactivated by rain rather than be washed off by rain. It's also pretty stinkin' cheap