Dealing with Deer
It is amazing that something as beautiful and graceful as a deer can be so destructive. As we have taken over more of the land they once reigned and removed their natural predators, deer have proven just how adaptable they are. Unfortunately, for too many home owners, our prized landscape plants have become dinner for the deer. Just as the deer have had to prove how adaptable they were, home owners have to do the same. We now have to become detectives to determine what method of deer control works best in our lives and in our yards. While we can spend a lot of time trying to keep the deer away from our plantings, we have to accept that the deer are not going to choose to starve to death just because our yards are noisy or we have sprayed our yards with repellents. Sometimes the best we will be able to do is encourage them to look elsewhere.
There are various products and methods available to us, but they key is to find a way that not only works, but doesn't cost a fortune or detract from the beauty of the landscaping. There are various types of repellents and barriers, but repellents seem to be the best suited to the home landscape. Fencing is the most effective, but it doesn't always fit in with the asthetics of our landscapes or our budgets.
Given the tremendous number of deer in urban areas, there has been a lot of research done on repellents. They all repel by tasting horrible, smelling offensive or both. After all the research, the only general conclusion seems to be that all of them work some of the time, but none of them works all of the time. Below you will find a list of some of the products you can use as repellents and a few details about each.
Ask around and see if your friends and neighbors have any ideas. Deterring deer can become a battle of the wits and you need all the creative ideas you can muster. One gardener has good luck with a light and radio (tuned to an all-talk station) hooked to a sensor that turns them on when the deer walk into the yard at night.
Substances Used as Deer Repellent:
Deer Guard
Liquid Fence
Bonide Repels-All
Milorganite This is an organic lawn and garden fertilizer made from Milwaukee's waste-water treatment process. It repels by smell. Test results are mixed on this product. Some studies say it is the best, others are less enthusiastic. As a deer repellent, the manufacturer recommends applying it lightly every 2 weeks and not working it into the soil or applying a 2-3 inch wide band an inch or two deep around the planting area.
Plants That Deer Like to Eat
Annuals
Impatiens
Mexican Sunflower
Sunflowers
Bulbs
Crocus
Tulips
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Perennials
Hollyhock
Hardy Geranium
Cardinal Flower
Peony
Phlox
Black-eyed Susan
Meadow Rue
Hosta
Daylilies
Garden Lilies Autumn Joy Sedum |
Trees and ShrubsBarberry
Boxwood
Magnolia
Smoke Tree
Daphne
Juniper
Mahonia
Rhododendron
Sumac
Hawthorn
Nordic Holly
Liliacs
Potentilla
Bridal Wreath Spirea |
Plants Deer Usually Avoid Eating
Annuals
Ageratum
Snapdragons
Wax Begonia
Cleome
Dahlia
Polkadot Plant
Sweet Alyssum
Heliotrope
Calendula
Lantana
Marigolds
Zinnias
Verbena
Dusty Miller
Geraniums
Perennials
Yarrow
Monkshood
Artemesia
Baptisia
Chrysanthemums
Foxglove
Columbine
Lavender
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More Perennials
Mint
Ferns
Bee Balm
Blanket Flower
Cat Mint
Poppies
Sage
Veronica
Rudbeckia
Astilbe
Barronwort
Bleeding Heart
Lupine
Clematis
Butterfly Weed
Globe Thistle
Joe Pye Weed
Coneflower
Russian Sage
Perennials Bulbs
Daffodils
Lily of the Valley
Leucojum
Allium
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Groundcovers
Ajuga
Vinca Groundcover
Pachysandra
Snow on the Mountain Lamium
Trees and Shrubs
Fir
Redbud
Roses
Yews
Birch
Arborvitae
Apples
Crabapples
Hydrangea
Arrowwood Viburnum
Cranberry Viburnum
Winged Euonymus
Dogwood
Linden
Hemlock
Bittersweet
Forsythia
Mugo pine
Scots pine
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© Bachman's 2008 |
