Whitetail Doe
Deer are elegant, powerful, and graceful creatures that can be quite charming to watch in their natural habitat. Unfortunately, deer can also be an awful nuisance. Full grown adult deer eat between 6 and 10 pounds of greenery every day and sometimes their search for food takes them into residential areas. You can protect your plants from these hungry creatures by applying 3 simple tricks to keep deer out of your yard.
1 - Cultivate Plants that Deer Dislike
While some voracious deer are hungry enough to eat anything, there are certain plants that deer tend to dislike. Plant them around the perimeter of your yard and garden to fend off deer.
Plants with strong odors are best, such as
- chives
- sage
- lavender
Bushes and plants with thorns are usually good for keeping away deer, but keep in mind that they do eat roses. Deer do not eat ornamental grasses, so using these throughout your yard can be an effective deterrent.
If you do grow plants that deer enjoy eating – such as
- roses
- azaleas
- berries
- tulips
- hyacinths
- strawberries
keep them near the home. Deer are much less likely to make a meal of plants that are near lots of human scents and activity.
2 – Scare Away Deer with Light and Sound
Deer are known for being skittish creatures that run at the first sign of trouble; use this to your advantage. Motion sensor lights will definitely scare deer away and stop them from snacking on your garden plants. You can use shiny objects that reflect the sun during the way to intimidate deer so that they do not enter your yard. A simple way to do this is hanging old CD’s in trees or on posts in your garden. Aluminum foil will achieve the same effect.
Garden ornaments with moving parts - such as those that spin in the breeze - will frighten deer and keep them away from your yard. The sounds produced by wind chimes can also scare away deer and make them think twice about making a meal out of your garden.
3 – Use Natural Scents that Repel Deer
There are several natural scents that will scare deer away from your yard. Spray a mix of 3 teaspoons of hot sauce diluted in a gallon of water on garden plants that are especially tasty to deer to repel them. Deer are naturally afraid of humans and will avoid areas where their scent is present. Use this to your advantage by putting small bags of human hair around your garden and in trees. Dogs are natural predators of deer, so having a dog and letting it roam free in the yard will also ward off deer effectively.
An excellent natural solution to your deer problem is using Shake-Away Deer Repellent Packs. This easy to use deterrent can be used in any weather conditions and will last for 90 days. It is made using coyote urine and thus scares away deer using their own natural fear of predators. Unlike traditional spray repellents, Shake-Away is safe for plants, pets, and children and is guaranteed to keep deer out of your yard.
