Deer Deterrents

Deer Deterrents

Deer, though beautiful, graceful and innocent faced, are not a good fit for pets, and so should not be entertained or given the slightest chance to relax, else they would cause irreparable damage to yards and gardens.

But since it is not in your power as a gardener or homeowner to prevent them from wanting to trespass your property, the best you could do is to deter them using different forms of deterrents.

Bear in mind, however, that the deterrent tactics discussed below will have to be regularly alternated to avoid deer from getting used to them – there would be a serious problem if they do.

1. Deer and Rabbit Mace

Of the several brands of commercial deer deterrent available in the market today, none is as effective and powerful as Deer Mace. This brand of repellent works by messing with the nose of bambi whenever they trespass a protected property.

Additionally, deer and rabbit mace has a long lasting effect, saving the user considerable amount of money.

2. Scented soap

Soaps like Irish spring gives off scents which make deer dire uncomfortable. The trick here it to either shred the soap up and then spread the shreds along the perimeter of a garden, or hang the bar soap at strategic points, but low enough to create a strong repelling scent.

If Irish spring is beyond you financially, or for some reason do not work, try other brands of soaps, but only ensure they are free of coconut oil and contain tallow in sufficient quantities.

3. Deterrent plants

If scented soap does not yield satisfactory results, try deterrent plants instead. Generally, thorny, foul-smelling and bitter tasting plants turn deer off, no matter how hungry or desperate they may be.

You have countless options to select from. Here are some of the common plants used by veteran gardeners to keep away bambi from their real estate

• Marigold
• Lavender
• Catmint
• Chives
• Catnip
• Oregano

It is advised that extreme caution be exercised when growing this plants least they become invasive.

4. Let the dogs out

Yep. You heard right – dogs not lions. Deer shiver to their boot on sighting a barking dog irrespective of its size. The reason is that they can’t exactly tell if the barking dog is a predator that could tear them in pieces or just a harmless pet.

For best result, ensure the policing dog isn’t latched but allowed to roam freely on your yard, reason being that if the dog is latched, deer would eventually learn that a latched pet poses no threat at all.

5. Noise

Loud and unfamiliar noise make deer skittish. The easiest way to scare them with noise is to string together empty pieces of tin cans and then tie it between poles.