As humans continue their spread from city to suburbia to rural areas, deer are increasingly left with less area to roam. At one point in the late 19th century, deer populations dwindled to close to nothing. Heavy commercial hunting took a toll, but over the last several decades, deer have made a comeback. Rampant hunting decreased in popularity because homeowners did not want hunters in their backyard. Now, deer are plentiful and more than happy to feast on your garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deer have such a negative and lasting impact on the health and growth of green space and gardens that without their influence, plants, flowers, crops, and trees prosper. There are many avenues to take to achieve a deer-less garden, the most effective being the installation of deer fences<\/a> around the perimeter to ensure the migration of deer to other pastures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Plant Odiferous Perennials along the Perimeter. Deer rely heavily on their sense of smell to guide them to tasty eats. By planting herbs that exude strong scents like chives, mint, and garlic along the perimeter of your garden or green space, you can mask the milder and more appealing interior scents and encourage them to be on their way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Keep a Well Maintained Garden. If you allow grasses to get long and fruits to over ripen on the vine, you\u2019re inviting deer trouble. By keeping grasses low, deer won\u2019t be encouraged to bed in them, and by discarding overripe crops; they won\u2019t have an easy feed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Remember that They Scare Easily. Deer are fearful of new and unfamiliar objects. That\u2019s why things like shiny garden ornaments, sundials, and scarecrows can help give them pause before entering your garden. Objects with moveable parts or those that make noise in the wind, will serve well to keep deer out of your yard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 A Rotation of DIY Repellents. A spray made of hot pepper sauce, rotten egg and garlic in your garden is an effective way to keep deer moving to other green spaces. Other homemade repellents include blood meal, bags of hair, ammonia-soaked rags, hanging strips of fabric softeners, and bars of soap. Keep in mind that these DIY formulas will have to be replaced on regular occasion due to precipitation and general breaking down of the substances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 String up Fishing Line. Deer aren\u2019t able to comprehend the idea of glass, so clear fishing line, set two or three feet above the ground, will confuse them enough so they won\u2019t enter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Wrap up new Plants. A physical barrier between deer and your new plants is sometimes the idea way to protect them. You can use garden nets, plastic tree wrap, and pliable mesh deer fencing to place around bushes, bulbs, and fruit trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Get a Dog. Letting a dog out into the yard will help keep deer scared away. Regardless of the size of the dog, their bark and scent will naturally repel deer. Be sure to let the dog tag along while the children are playing and when you are gardening, so you can be certain the dog\u2019s scent is in your yard. It\u2019s also a good time to teach them the \u2018right\u2019 and \u2018wrong\u2019 places to dig, if they are so inclined!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Install Floodlights. Deer don\u2019t like bright lights, so if you install motion (or other) lights for your lawn or garden, deer will be less likely to munch on the fruits of your labor. However, just like with other scare tactics like scarecrow or windblown ribbons, deer will eventually realize and come to understand that the lights (and objects) can\u2019t hurt them and so will be less of a deterrent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Build Levels. Deer may be able to jump but they aren\u2019t good at climbing. Building terraces and sunken beds for your garden landscape will discourage them from entering your yard. If you stack pallets around the perimeter of your yard, deer will likely keep moving along because they won\u2019t want to jump or walk on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Plant Thick Hedges. If deer can\u2019t see all of the sumptuous delights you have waiting for them in your garden, they won\u2019t bother with trying to get at them. By planting boxwoods and other thick hedge varieties around your yard, you can visually shield your garden from deer that will be just as happy to keep moving along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You, too, can achieve a deer-less garden with a little prepping and planning. It is estimated by wildlife scientists that there are around 20 deer per every square mile in the United States, with each adult deer eating 6-10 pounds of greenery each day. The most effective and durable barrier is deer fencing, but if you\u2019re willing to put in the time and effort to maintain them, there are other methods to try.<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As humans continue their spread from city to suburbia to rural areas, deer are increasingly left with less area to roam. At one point in the late 19th century, deer populations dwindled to close to nothing. Heavy commercial hunting took a toll, but over the last several decades, deer have made a comeback. Rampant hunting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48172,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7311],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n