7 Ways To Keep Deer Out Of Your Garden, According To Experts
30.05.2024 - 03:33
/ southernliving.com
/ Arricca Elin SanSone
Sure, Bambi is cute. But what’s not so cute is when she’s chowing down on yourvegetable garden or devouring yourhostas anddaylilies. Even if you’ve never had deer visiting your yard before, there’s always a first time. And no plant—even those said to be “deer resistant”—is truly safe from their voracious appetites.
- Sheldon Owen, PhD, is a wildlife extension specialist at West Virginia University.
- Michael Mengak, PhD, is a Certified Wildlife Biologist and professor, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources at the University of Georgia.
But you don’t have to give up and watch your neighborhood deer consume every bit of your (expensive!)flowers,shrubs,perennials, andedibles. “The best approach is an integrated strategy that uses a few different management techniques,” says Sheldon Owen, PhD, wildlife extension specialist at West Virginia University. “Animals will get used to anything, so you need to use multiple tactics.”
Deer will eat whatever’s seasonally abundant and available, so their diets change throughout the year to include things such as fruit, vegetables, mushrooms, grass, acorns, and crops. “They don’t stand in one place and devour the whole plant but rather graze selectively with a nibble here and there,” says Michael Mengak, PhD, Certified Wildlife Biologist and professor, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources at theUniversity of Georgia. “They’ll eat things they’re not ‘supposed’ to eat, too, if they’re hungry enough and there is a large population of deer in the area.”
That’s why you may suddenly start seeing damage. As their numbers ebb and flow, or the seasons change and impact what’s out there to eat, deer may move into new areas. And if you’re not ready to take action, you may