Protecting your garden from unwanted snackers is a full-time job. Animals are quiet and can strike at any time. Deer look innocent, but they can wreck havoc on a garden in minutes. So how do you keep them away without doing anything to harm them? How do you find a a way that to keep the deer away? It is not easy. They can jump fences at very tall heights and can be fearless when they are very hungry. You must therefore play their own instincts against them and learn what things they have an natural aversion to.
Smell is the most commonly sensitive sense in animals; deer are no exception. Since deer are not great fighters, they use their sense of smell to discover hidden predators and run away before they, themselves, are discovered. Urine is a very sharp indicator of a predator’s property and you can use this to your advantage.
There are scented chemicals that are similar to the smell of real animal urine. Few animals would be willing to risk getting food that is clearly in the middle of a predator’s territory. These can be found in any hunting or home care department. Still there is something about spraying stuff that stinks on to the plants.
Deer are known to be sensitive to high-frequency noises; either blow a whistle high enough for only animals to hear when you notice a deer around (inconvenient) or invest in an electronic whistle that can automatically play whenever its motion sensor is triggers or at specific times. This will make the deer steer clear.
For more inexpensive, household items, use anything with a sharp scent. Chopped garlic has been said to work, along with chopped hot peppers. Dove soap, which smells so good to us, is enough to make a deer retch. Moth balls and ammonia (understandably) keep animals at bay.
A new wave of deer-resistance has started. People call it ‘deeroscaping’ and use the term when they organize their property to be unpalatable to deer. This typically involves growing certain plants that deer find disgusting very close to ones they find delicious. It should hopefully keep them far enough away from your garden so they don’t even notice plants they might want. Any decorative grass is one example, along with sage, verbena, spearmint, and mums. Full lists are pages long.
These are all good steps for summer months when other food is readily available; deer won’t bother with your heinous yard when there are plenty of other peaceful, nice-smelling places to eat. In the winter, though, deer do not have the luxury of being picky. They can and will eat anything they can find. You may have to use ALL of these steps in the winter.
Are you having problems with deer? Then deer repellent is the best way to go. Online, you can find a large variety deer repellent recipes that will help get rid of those creatures.
