Deer have been ravaging my garden even eating thorny roses.
They finally decided to munch a few leaves of the plumie. Is there hope that they will get sick and never reurn? Maybe I should put my euphorbs out there too.........
Seriously, they are destroying all my flowering plants except the lavender.
Hungry deer and my plumie
Beverly, I bet there is some animal safe protection that you can give your plants. I'm sure that there must be smells that would deter them from eating and sprays that you can use. I haven't seen it discussed here, but I bet there is a thread somewhere on Dave's about it if you were to do a search. If not, try googling "deer repellent."
That's a tough one. My home used to be in a rural area where deer were quite abundant. After losing the first few rose bushes I planted and listening to others' frustrations with this battle, my solution was to just go natural and enjoy them at a distance. A lot less frustrating for me :-) I also didn't have a great deal of money invested in plants.
Here are some links that deal with the issue. I like the motion detector idea mentioned in the first link and completely disagree with the hunting idea (not because I'm opposed to hunting but I would have no interest in "inviting hunters" to shoot at animals moving around my home though I was in an area where it would be legal):
FAQ - Deer
http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/AAMG/wildlife/deer.html
Deer Proof Your Garden
http://www.canadiangardening.com/howto/ideas_deer_proof.shtml
Solving Problems With Deer, HSUS
http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/urban_wildlife_our_wild_neighbors/solving_problems_with_your_wild_neighbors/solving_problems_with_deer.html
Jackie
Clare, I own 2 large Collies. If they don't keep deer away, what will? Jackie, I live in metro NYC, hunting not an option.
I had two large dogs and two small. Deer get used to barking dogs. Most likely, your neighbors also have dogs. Hunting on my property was not an option, either, as I'm not a hunter. Did you get a chance to read the articles I posted links to? There are some pretty good suggestions there. A fence like they are referring to is a good option. The spray repellents have their limitations.
Fencing is a problem in our town, need a permit, deer here on the east coast can jump pretty high (our deer are taller than deer in SoCal). A fence high enough requires a variance. And the problem is my front yard, where I want the plants out for display.
I know sprays don't always work. Deer should not be around the 'burbs!
BTW, my older daughter was born in Mission Viejo.
The home I refer to was my home in the Texas hillcountry before I sold it and moved here to California. I have no idea how the jump height of Texas deer compares to deer in your area. I also have no knowledge of the jump height of California deer as I have no experience with them. We don't have deer roaming our neighborhood. The article to which I referred was discussing deer in Minnesota. I have no idea how high they jump, either.
What do you think was in the burbs before people were? We have coyotes where I am now (I also had coyotes as well as red and gray fox and all manner of wildlife in my "yard" in Texas). The coyotes here eat neighbors' cats when they aren't eating the wild rabbits. Some have lost their pet dogs to the coyotes. They were here before the humans were but they have thrived because of, not inspite of development.
I guess back in Texas I appreciated the fact that I didn't have to deal with moose and bears. I truly enjoyed watching the deer grazing on my land especially during those times when fawns were part of the herd. I miss sitting in my porch swing with a cup of coffee early in the morning watching all the wildlife, including the deer grazing just off my porch. I miss it more than I can say.
Jackie
hanging irish spring soap in pantyhose... that works, but sounds retarded.
The pine tree growers spray their seedlings with egg whites to repel deer.
If deer were predators, they wouldn't be so pleasant to watch. In a neighborhood of homes, where the lot size is barely 100 by 100 ft, there's just no room for them. There are plenty of state and county parks but no hunting season any longer, so the herds strip the parks, then come to where the people live. If the deer would just graze (meaning eat grass), and leave my plants alone, it wouldn't be bad (though they are a threat to the well-being of my dogs, according to the local wildlife experts). A buck stood on my lawn one evening (rutting season it was) and did not move when my husband had to leave for synagogue. You know a buck in rutting season is dangerous; who expects to walk into one on one's lawn 15 miles from New York City?
California deer (I think they are mule deer) are shorter than the whitetail deer around here. And deer can jump quite high- I talked to a landscaper about a new fence in back to keep deer out and it's won't do it, at least not without a variance.
Smells repel only temporarily, whether soap or eggs or predator urine. Only a fear of predation, by predator or hunters, will keep deer away, I think.
When the deer pay my property taxes (which are over $13,000 a year), they can eat the roses and the plumie too. Until then, by invitation only.
This message was edited Aug 27, 2007 8:00 PM
vegtable oil and cayanne pepper in a sprayer they might take a few bites but won't care for any more. add water to it too
I'm confused. I think I misunderstood you and thought you wanted suggestions on ideas about how to resolve your problem with the deer. After re-reading your original message and subsequent messages, I see now it's possible I was mistaken and you were venting and that's perfectly understandable in a gardening forum and would explain your replies to those offering suggestions.
My apologies and I'm sorry the deer are eating your plants.
Jackie
This message was edited Aug 27, 2007 5:23 PM
i'm confused
I'm confused too:-( It sounds like you need to take steps to put that tall fence in -- whatever it requires.
Do you have the ability to buy "Meat Meal"?
I bought some per instruction and it works quite well. You need to apply a teaspoon for each 10 feet along the perimiter of your yard. The deer, apparently hate this stuff.
The only problem is - that cats and other harmless critters like it. AND you have to re-apply it after a rain. Nothing is easy.
A product that deters a critter can also entice another.
Maybe I'm confused by the suggestions. Jackie, you wrote as if I should want to take a cup of coffee and watch the things as they destroy my garden. Doesn't matter that they were "here" first. By that reasoning, all humans would have to fit into Olduvai Ridge.
My township has height limits on fences (meaning a variance is required to erect a fence high enough to keep deer out), also requires a permit to put up fences. Even if my township made it easy, I don't want a tall fence in my front yard, I want to show off my plants. That's where the deer are coming to eat. They are not eating the grass (DH still has to mow). They obliterated my carnations, macerated my hydrangeas, decided to taste-test the plumie, and eat the thorny roses. The only thing they leave alone is the lavender. I did not plant hosta or other stuff deer supposedly love- they love just about everything. Sprays and stuff you put down work for a short period of time. Anyone know of a permanent solution? Teresa, I didn't see meat meal in the big nursery/garden center I went to yesterday, just the usual DeerScram and stuff that works for a couple of weeks.
I was hoping that eating something poisonous like plumeria would deter deer. I'd buy lots of euphorbias to put out for them in that case. that was my original question.
The deer seem to be developing tolerances to some things we thought they stayed away from. Sumac, which I thought were poisonous to deer, seem to be gobbled up by them lately. :-(
Please don't try to poison your deer. There has to be another solution. Have you done a search here on Dave's or Google?
Edited to add: I'm sure, if deer were to get sick from something they ate, they wouldn't equate it with a specific plant or even your yard so not only would it be cruel to intentionally poison them, but it wouldn't have the desired effect you seek. If you are not willing to do what it takes to put up a fence in your front yard, it sounds like you have to plant your most treasured plants in the back and the easily replaceable ones in front.
This message was edited Aug 28, 2007 9:24 AM
Nothing is permanent or perfect, I think. You have deer - we have rabbits, squirrels and gophers eating anything and everything. We do what we can, but it takes persistence. I get tired of it, but I'm not willing to eradicate everything that causes me discomfort - except ants and black widows!! lol
Any way to redesign your landscape to make it harder for them to get to the plants? For instance, we had feral cats digging in a bed, so we put plastic egg crate under the mulch, which they didn't like at all. Is there anything like that for deer? Something they don't like to walk on or moves under their feet, or...? If not, then I would probably rotate the above solutions so they didn't get too used to anything. I haven't heard of meat meal, but blood meal deters some animals, as they think it's a predator.
Good luck, I can understand the frustration you must have.
I have many, many deer here and have found Deer Off to be the best repellent. It has the usual ingredients, garlic, red pepper and rotten eggs but it seems to have been deodorized for human noses as I do not find it offensive at all (like many of the other sprays) but the deer obviously hate it. I do notice a white film on my plants for a day or so after I apply it but it goes away quickly and the spray remains effective for a month here. Our Lowe's sells it now and although it is not cheap, anything that works is priceless.
Edited to add: A friend with a daylily nursery in upstate SC has an 8' fence and the deer regularly jump it to munch on her stock. I don't think fences are the answer no matter the circumstances.
It is the dearth of natural predators that has caused the problem and unless you can add a few predators (mountain lions?) you just have to continuously repel them.
Just my opinion but that is what I have to do.
This message was edited Aug 28, 2007 1:09 PM
I live in an apt... my mom has the yard I envy for... over two acres... and she gardens on nearly every square inch. Deer are everywhere where she lives. She uses the irish spring soap inthe pantyhose with great success. Also, human hair clippings, gathered from your barbershop or beauty salon, also placed in the pantyhose, works well.
I have friends that swear by this method and the green poles are unobtrusive in the garden.
http://wirelessdeerfence.com/wdf/index.html
Oh yes, I've forgotten my original method. I pushed bamboo stakes along the front of my yard (the rest is fenced) and tied fishing line from stake to stake. The deer won't see this and if they feel they may be "tripped" they turn away as they, apparently, don't like to be "tripped".
The only problem with this was, whenever I mowed the lawn, I had to uproot each stake and move everything onto the driveway, and after I finished mowing, I had to untangle everything and reposition it all.
If it's in a place you don't have to move this silly structure, it'll work fine.
Well I ordered wireless deer fence, it costs less than a year's supply of Deer Scram or Deer Off.
With autumn approaching, it can only get worse.