Do Deer Eat Pears?

Do deer eat pears? They do, just like they eat many other fruits. This article will talk about deer feeding habits and how to protect your pear trees from deer.

Deer can eat a wide range of things beyond our imaginations, but when it comes to fruits, there lie their specialties. From apples to crab-apples, blueberries to even ornamental trees, deer can eat everything. Presently, the deer diet comprises over 400 different food sources. These numbers can expand during the winters when deer cannot find their most preferred food sources for a little while. However, if you cultivate pears, then the question on your mind is—do deer eat pears? The answer seems obvious: Yes, Deer eats peers.

Deer damage to pear trees

They can either eat from ripened pears on the ground or stand on their hind legs and eat to their delight, directly from the pear trees. However, it isn’t truly the fruits that cause many issues. Deer are fond of eating young shoots, which can compromise the harvest. They are also known for rubbing their antlers against trees, which can damage them irreparably. Therefore, when your pear trees are young, you must protect them from deer to prevent awful outcomes.

Protect your pear trees

The most effective way to deal with deer is fencing. Here are different types of fencing you can use to keep deer away from your pear trees.

Woven wire fence

You can use an 8-foot woven wire fence to prevent deer from coming into your property. This is one of the most proven barriers to deer. However, you need to make sure that your fencing starts from the ground, else deer will crawl in from under to have a go at your plants.

Electric fence

Electric fences are also useful as long as they are not too short because deer can jump over them. How-ever, electric fences can help modify their behavior by releasing a quick spurt of energy whenever they try to crawl under or go through it. Therefore in the future, they will stay clear of your orchard to pre-vent such scenarios again. The electric fence also costs less than the 8-foot wall and is one reason why some people prefer them. However, you must frequently inspect and maintain it to about 6 – 8 feet, to discourage deer from jumping in.

Repellents

People have also used materials such as blood meal, bone tar oil, meat scraps, ammonium, urine, rotten eggs, hot pepper sauce as repellents against deer. Many of these are useful, but you must use them alter-nately. That way, you can prevent deer from becoming too used to a specific scent or taste. When they are familiar with it, it stops being effective.

Conclusion

Deer proofing is ideal for preventing deer from damaging your fruit trees. So, the answer to your ques-tion—do deer eat pears—is yes, they do. Therefore, you must be diligent in your methods to keep them out. Fencing is one of the best ways. You can choose between a conventional fence and an electric fence and pair up with another deterrent method to create an excellent protection strategy against deer.

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