Deer can damage your trees, bushes, and other plants. Deer like to eat young or newly born plants, and the well-fertilized and laughing growth of gardens and landscapes in many urbanized areas offers them a tempting target. Getting rid of deer is difficult, as they adapt quickly to most deterrents, but by using a combination of strategies, you may be able to reduce their visits to your yard and prevent damage to your landscaping and gardens.
Steps
Step 1. Look for deer marks on your property
You want to determine which pests are causing the damage before proceeding with strategies for disposing of deer, and it is important to know which areas or plants are in the sights of the deer so you know where to focus your efforts.
- Look for plants with damaged leaves, torn leaves or marks on trunks far behind the bark. Deer pluck vegetation from plants with their mouths, having no sharp incisors, and rub antlers (deer antlers) against trees to remove velvet or mark territory.
- Search the courtyard for excrement and deer footprints. The droppings are in the shape and size of beans, usually about 2cm long. The footprints have the clear form of a cloven hoof.
- Look for the deer beds. They are oval hollows in the ground where a deer has laid down to rest. The dips usually range from half a meter to 1.2m.
Step 2. Plant deer resistant plants and trees around the vegetation that the deer are aiming for
You may be able to keep deer away from your favorite plants by hiding them behind less eye-catching plants and trees.
Incorporates poisonous plants and bushes, with hairy, thorny or strongly aromatic leaves. Examples of anti-deer flowers are paulownia, carnation, poppy, and lavender. Deer do not even like lilac bushes and evergreens
Step 3. Scare the deer off your property
You can scare them off by using intermittent flashlights or loud noises. You will need to change the method at least every 3 weeks if not less, as deer quickly get used to a method.
- Sound a horn or a whistle outside if you see deer in your yard.
- Just old CDs and tinfoil from trees and bushes, or on a wire hanging between poles. The blinking lights from CDs and the rustling noise of foil can help keep deer away.
- Use a commercially available electronic deer repellent. These are usually motion-sensitive devices, which you can install in affected areas. They emit ultrasonic and sonic noise, flashing lights, or a combination of the two. Motion-sensitive sprinklers are also available, which water deer and other pests with water as soon as they get close to your plants.
Step 4. Create or purchase contact repellents
A contact repellent is usually a liquid that you splash on a plant, bush or tree. The liquid smells or tastes bad to deer, so they stop eating the plant.
- Mix some egg spray. Make a mixture that is 20% egg and 80% water. Pour it into a spray bottle, and spray on the affected vegetation. The smell of the rotting egg drives away the deer, which associate the odors of putrefaction with predators. Apply every 30 days, or after rain.
- Make a diluted hot sauce spray. Spray it on plants and trees. The capsicum in chillies tastes bad and irritates deer, causing them to stop eating the plant.
- Buy a prepared product. Check that the product is safe on vegetables and fruits if you are using it in a garden or on fruit trees.
Step 5. Hang soap bars from trees or poles
The strong smell can keep deer away from your yard.
Step 6. Take advantage of the deer fear for predators
Deer are likely to change direction if they suspect the proximity of predators.
- Spread human or canine hair on the ground around affected plants and trees or on the perimeter of your garden.
- Get an outdoor dog or canine bait. Deer are afraid of dogs.
- Hang mesh bags with scraps of human hair, blood meal, or feathers. Place the bags 1 meter apart and fill the bags monthly.
- Purchase deer repellent made from blood meal or predator urine. Common deer predators include bobcats and coyotes.
Step 7. Remove the birdhouses from your yard
The feed or corn you leave for other animals will also attract deer to your property.
Step 8. Upgrade or add fences
While it's not foolproof, a tall, solid fence can keep deer out of your property.
- Make sure the fence is high enough. Deer can jump nearly 3 meters, so a fence should be at least 2.5 meters high to keep deer out. If you don't want a tall fence, try placing 2 that are 1.20m and 1.50m high at a distance of about one meter between them.
- Place the fence at least 30cm deep so that the deer can't get underneath.
