Controlling Deer
By far the largest pest when it comes to your lawn and garden are deer. Deer have been found to be remarkably adaptable animals, flourishing just outside of major metropolitan areas and in some cases found right within the limits of large cities. How they get there is anyone’s guess, but one thing we know for sure is that if you live in an area where there are a lot of deer, you are going to have a lot of problems with your garden. These animals are large and can cause a lot of damage to your landscaping in a very short amount of time. Here are some ideas for controlling deer problems.
* Fences. If you are trying to grow a vegetable garden, a nice fence will probably be your most effective barrier against deer incursions. The trick is that this fence has to be high enough to keep out the deer without blocking the sun from your seedlings; it can’t be solid, it has to be some kind of loosely meshed wire. In addition, deer are fantastic jumpers; your fence is going to have to be at least five feet high and maybe even higher depending on the species.
* Stimulating the predator response. Remember that as big as deer are, they are still pretty low on the food chain in their natural environment. The major predators of deer may have been largely wiped out in the United States(part of why there are so many around today) but that doesn’t mean that deer have lost their natural fear of being eaten. One of the most effective ways to keep deer away from your garden is by using a live animal that looks like one of the deer’s ancient enemies, the dog. Deer will not get within sight of a dog if they can help it. If keeping a dog is out, you can also try scents which simulate the smell of deer predators, even hair from a friend’s dog will do. Unexpected noises are also great for scaring deer away, and just changing the smells around your garden from time to time may make the deer to wary to stay for long.
* Use deer repellent materials and plants. Deer don’t eat all vegetation, just those plants that smell good to them. If you are only worried about deer doing a number on your landscaping, try a design that is made up of plants whose smell turns the deer off. This approach can also work with certain types of flower and different sorts of ground cover; if you find deer are munching their way through your bunch grass, try covering up with bark mulch instead! You can also use blood meal and bone meal around your trees to keep deer away, although sooner or later deer tend to get used to the smell and take a few bites anyway.