Repellent tactics you can use to deter Deer

It can be exciting to watch deer graze gracefully on open fields, especially when driving through the country in the evenings. But this excitement will quickly turn to disgust should they invade your garden filled with vegetables and edible plants.

One big mistake you will make as a gardener or homeowner is to get sunk into wishful thinking, hoping that deer will steer clear of your real estate. You are better off taking concrete actions towards deer-proofing your garden than hoping that the problem will someday go away on its own.

That being said, below are some repellent tactics you can use to deter deer from snacking on the plants in your garden.

1. Avoid growing certain plants

Deer enjoy snacking on certain plants – growing these plants inadvertently or intentionally would give an inviting signal to deer – something you certainly don’t want to happen. Below are some of the plants you should avoid growing by all means:

• Roses
• Dogwood
• Azalea
• Lilac

As for trees, white pine and yews is a no-no.

But if you must grow these plants, it is best you grow them at the outskirts of your farm – at a distance far from your garden. They will least likely graze on your farm if they have elsewhere to snack.

2. Motion light

Sudden burst of light, though harmless and poses no threat, scare the hell out of deer. Motion light are actuated by the motion of invading wildlife like deer.

To achieve success with this repellent tactics, ensure the flood light you deploy produces a strong flood of light that can slightly startle the eyes of any invasive critter like deer

3. Motion actuated sprinklers

You need something more forceful to keep deer away from your assets. This is because they with time, they get to unlearn whatever they have learned to fear. Flood light, for instance, only scares them but poses no threat – all it would take is time before they become comfortable around flood lights.

To that end, motion actuated sprinkler would be your best bet if you want something that will scare them, and at the same time inflict pain on them. Motion actuated sprinkler work in similar fashion as motion light – they are triggered by movement. Two, or at most three sprinklers, will do the job.

4. Commercial repellent

This one has a catch, though. You need to be wary of brands that promise so much but deliver so little. Technically speaking, there are lots of them in the market.

Luckily, there are some brands of repellents that are not only effective but also safe. Deer and Rabbit Mace, a repellent spray by Nature Mace is one of such high quality commercial spray.

One application can last up to 6 weeks, so you have nothing to be worried about wasting money.

5. Scarecrow

Scarecrow have for years been used for keeping away uninvited guests like bird away from a farm. What many people do not know is that scarecrow also works against deer and other wildlife.

Use scarecrow in combination with any of the repellent tactics discussed here, and deer will forever kiss your yard or garden goodbye.