Deer control
Moderators: ViolaAnn, redcrx, Chris_W
Deer control
Last fall I moved to a new home. Big yard, lots of shade and trees. I've also noticed lots of signs of deer. How are you guys dealing with deer? Are they a problem for hosta?
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Primroselane
- Posts: 183
- Joined: Mar 03, 2005 12:43 am
- Location: Shelby Twp Michigan zone 5
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We have a problem with them, but never see them in our yard only the destruction they cause. they love the fragrant Hostas and will eat them to ground, rest of them they just eat the blooms, but the new ones that I purchase, they just devour them like candy. We use Liquid fence and it seems to work sometimes. we use baloons bouncing together for sound and turn the sprinklers on when we think they are sneaking in there, that also seems to scare them, this winter I purchased a bright orange sail shade cloth to tie between three trees for shade over the benches and it will serve a dual purpose to make a lot of noise to scare them, when the sprinkler head hits it, I am hoping that will work too. The new hostas that I will purchase this year will go in a pot and I will keep them close to house on the new potting bench that we made this winter. I have heard that if you use big animal manure in yard where they come in at works - like the kind you get from the zoo. I too am open for more suggestions.
Lucille
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Chris_W
- Administrator
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- USDA Zone: 9
- Location: Co. Roscommon, Ireland
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Great topic, as I'm sure lots of people have to deal with the deer.
I'm getting worried this year. In the past I've just had the random nibble, mainly because we have used liquid fence and that has worked fantastic, but the herd is very large this year, it was a very long winter, and there has been a ton of activity this winter, making it necessary to spray liquid fence twice this winter when normally I only do it once in February.
In the summer I alternate between liquid fence and blood meal. With the liquid fence you need to spray at the first sign of activity. Sometimes it lasts for weeks, sometimes months, just be sure to keep at it and you will change their traffic and feeding patterns. And don't forget to spray evergreens and tree trunks in winter so they don't start a new traffic pattern through the garden again. The key is to spray the perimeter and not just the garden. This keeps them far away from temptation. You can still spray the garden if they are coming into the yard, but for us just a perimeter spray along the property line keeps them well away. Then I dust the garden with blood meal by throwing handfuls into the air on a breezy day. This way the dust spreads around and you don't even notice it. And it is blood meal, not bone meal. Lots of people make that mistake and buy the wrong one.
Other people I've known with even worse problems have put up fencing to keep them out. One lady I worked for put up a 10' fence using treated 2x2s and the fencing was a very fine, lightweight mesh that was barely noticeable. Surprisingly enough this worked. The deer never knocked it down or bothered it and you hardly noticed it was there. Heck, I even walked into it a couple times. But we were able to hide this fence at the outskirts between the yard and woods and it wasn't that big of a lot.
I've heard of people using pie plates to scare them off, also plastic bags for the same thing. Personally I think this makes the whole place look cluttered in trash
For those with conifer collections I've heard of people having good luck hanging bars of irish spring soap on the trees, but that is unlikely to work for hostas.
I'll be looking forward to what other people have to say, too.
I'm getting worried this year. In the past I've just had the random nibble, mainly because we have used liquid fence and that has worked fantastic, but the herd is very large this year, it was a very long winter, and there has been a ton of activity this winter, making it necessary to spray liquid fence twice this winter when normally I only do it once in February.
In the summer I alternate between liquid fence and blood meal. With the liquid fence you need to spray at the first sign of activity. Sometimes it lasts for weeks, sometimes months, just be sure to keep at it and you will change their traffic and feeding patterns. And don't forget to spray evergreens and tree trunks in winter so they don't start a new traffic pattern through the garden again. The key is to spray the perimeter and not just the garden. This keeps them far away from temptation. You can still spray the garden if they are coming into the yard, but for us just a perimeter spray along the property line keeps them well away. Then I dust the garden with blood meal by throwing handfuls into the air on a breezy day. This way the dust spreads around and you don't even notice it. And it is blood meal, not bone meal. Lots of people make that mistake and buy the wrong one.
Other people I've known with even worse problems have put up fencing to keep them out. One lady I worked for put up a 10' fence using treated 2x2s and the fencing was a very fine, lightweight mesh that was barely noticeable. Surprisingly enough this worked. The deer never knocked it down or bothered it and you hardly noticed it was there. Heck, I even walked into it a couple times. But we were able to hide this fence at the outskirts between the yard and woods and it wasn't that big of a lot.
I've heard of people using pie plates to scare them off, also plastic bags for the same thing. Personally I think this makes the whole place look cluttered in trash
For those with conifer collections I've heard of people having good luck hanging bars of irish spring soap on the trees, but that is unlikely to work for hostas.
I'll be looking forward to what other people have to say, too.
Several years ago (thankfully, before I started collecting hosta varieties), deer ate many of my hosta Lancifolia just as they were emerging. I had heard somewhere that human hair was a deterrent, so I tried it, and it worked. Now every spring, I get a bag of hair from my stylist and distribute it among the hosta eyes as they are emerging. The deer and the rabbits have left them alone. The hair looks a little off-putting for a bit, but as soon as the hostas grow larger, the hair simply disappears under the canopy. As the plants get larger and the human scent from the hair washes away, I sometimes use a chemical deterrent such as Ro-pel.
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woodthrush
- Posts: 93
- Joined: Feb 17, 2004 10:00 am
- Location: NE PA
About 8 years ago, I read that you need to break the deer from their normal browsing path. They will following the same route all the time. We fenced our yard with just metal stakes and light weight chicken wire. It's just enough to deter them and make them walk another path through the woods.
The first year the fence was up, maybe one or two jumped the fence, now its very rare. Usually something spooks them to make them run and jump, otherwise they just walk around.
We're overrun with deer here and we are in a private community so there is no hunting. And during hunting season, all the deer seem to congregate in this area. They eat everything.
Pam
The first year the fence was up, maybe one or two jumped the fence, now its very rare. Usually something spooks them to make them run and jump, otherwise they just walk around.
We're overrun with deer here and we are in a private community so there is no hunting. And during hunting season, all the deer seem to congregate in this area. They eat everything.
Pam
Well, Well, Well, 
Deer, makes a great steak!
And then there's the one natural thing to do that everyone, goes "ehw" to, besides eating them
Is to "pee" around the perimeter. I don't mean swat and do this in one spot, spread it out! Encourage your husband to pee on the surrounding trees. Keep in mind that it is important to stay on the inside of thier run or lead. by this I mean between the beds and them. Look at the tracks in relation to your beds and go in between. This will also work for rabbits. (It's just harder to see thier leads or runs) The hair from the hair dressers I use every spring because of the rabbits. They love the magnolia shrubs, tender new veggies, and yes the Hostas also! Just please don't pee in your beds. Causes problems with the soil balance.
If only you knew how long it took me to write this because of laughing and hitting the wrong keys!
Trust me it works. And it doesn't cost a thing! Completely natural.
Please do not do this in front of impressionable children or people who could take offence.
In other words be discrete`. 
save it for when you know there's no one to offend or use a container.
Izzy
Deer, makes a great steak!
And then there's the one natural thing to do that everyone, goes "ehw" to, besides eating them
Is to "pee" around the perimeter. I don't mean swat and do this in one spot, spread it out! Encourage your husband to pee on the surrounding trees. Keep in mind that it is important to stay on the inside of thier run or lead. by this I mean between the beds and them. Look at the tracks in relation to your beds and go in between. This will also work for rabbits. (It's just harder to see thier leads or runs) The hair from the hair dressers I use every spring because of the rabbits. They love the magnolia shrubs, tender new veggies, and yes the Hostas also! Just please don't pee in your beds. Causes problems with the soil balance.
If only you knew how long it took me to write this because of laughing and hitting the wrong keys!
Trust me it works. And it doesn't cost a thing! Completely natural.
Please do not do this in front of impressionable children or people who could take offence.
In other words be discrete`. save it for when you know there's no one to offend or use a container.Izzy
I can't speak for heavily populated deer areas, but for areas where the deer population is moderate Milorganite fertilizer works very well. I spread it on the lawn in spring and around the hostas as well, and this eliminates any deer damage on my 1-acre property. If I don't lightly spread around the hostas in mid-summer, then I occasionally will get a hosta or two eaten. But for the most part, Milorganite has been extremely effective, and it's a great organic fertilizer as well.
Joe in CT
Joe in CT
I am going to try the Milorganite and the hair - we have a Maine Coon Cat and she is shedding right now!
My suggestion is to plant daylilies, then they won't bother your hostas!
Last summer we spent the summer in Michigan so left our Maryland garden by itself. To keep the deer out of the daylily beds I put up the flimsy deer fence that was 7' by 50' and used large twist ties to attach it. My posts weren't 7' high so I folded it over at the top to give it more strength. That worked well and like an earlier poster if you stop the wandering through that is the biggest problem. The deer seem to wander through and browse on what looks good, we live in the woods so they have plenty to eat. I am going to put my fence up as soon as the mulch is down this year. We have a group of 7 yearlings that are hanging around here because their Mom's took them here during deer season. One has developed a taste for irises and all my transplants were pulled up over the winter, I guess I will have to move the daylily fence back to include the irises now. Fortunately, they left the hostas alone with a once a week application of the stinky products. We rotate 3 different products and if you are around all summer we have found they work well too if you don't have a period of extended rain.
One problem with the fence is that if you let it touch the ground you will have many snakes get hung up in it and we lost about 3 of them last summer. They like to go through it to shed their skin and get caught. The snakes are more precious to us than the deer fence because a worse 4-letter word in our yard is VOLE not DEER. The deer mow em down, voles uproot, defoliate and often kill the entire plant. I welcome any and all snakes in our yard, no copperheads here yet.
I am going to try another plan for this year, since we have no neighbors I am going to use floating row cover and attach it to the trees about 2' off the ground and cut off their pathway into the back yard. I will post if it succeeds but most people don't have the ability to hang an ugly fence.
Something you might want to try is to get some 4' lengths of flexible but sturdy wire and put each end in the ground so they look like rainbows. Then suspend netting over the top until your hostas have a chance to start to leaf out. By the time the hostas will get big enough to take it off their will be more forage and they won't bother them.
Good luck with your hostas!
My suggestion is to plant daylilies, then they won't bother your hostas!
Last summer we spent the summer in Michigan so left our Maryland garden by itself. To keep the deer out of the daylily beds I put up the flimsy deer fence that was 7' by 50' and used large twist ties to attach it. My posts weren't 7' high so I folded it over at the top to give it more strength. That worked well and like an earlier poster if you stop the wandering through that is the biggest problem. The deer seem to wander through and browse on what looks good, we live in the woods so they have plenty to eat. I am going to put my fence up as soon as the mulch is down this year. We have a group of 7 yearlings that are hanging around here because their Mom's took them here during deer season. One has developed a taste for irises and all my transplants were pulled up over the winter, I guess I will have to move the daylily fence back to include the irises now. Fortunately, they left the hostas alone with a once a week application of the stinky products. We rotate 3 different products and if you are around all summer we have found they work well too if you don't have a period of extended rain.
One problem with the fence is that if you let it touch the ground you will have many snakes get hung up in it and we lost about 3 of them last summer. They like to go through it to shed their skin and get caught. The snakes are more precious to us than the deer fence because a worse 4-letter word in our yard is VOLE not DEER. The deer mow em down, voles uproot, defoliate and often kill the entire plant. I welcome any and all snakes in our yard, no copperheads here yet.
I am going to try another plan for this year, since we have no neighbors I am going to use floating row cover and attach it to the trees about 2' off the ground and cut off their pathway into the back yard. I will post if it succeeds but most people don't have the ability to hang an ugly fence.
Something you might want to try is to get some 4' lengths of flexible but sturdy wire and put each end in the ground so they look like rainbows. Then suspend netting over the top until your hostas have a chance to start to leaf out. By the time the hostas will get big enough to take it off their will be more forage and they won't bother them.
Good luck with your hostas!
The kiss of the sun for pardon
The song of the birds for mirth
One is nearer God's heart in the garden
Than anywhere on earth
Doris Frances Gurney "Garden Thoughts"
The song of the birds for mirth
One is nearer God's heart in the garden
Than anywhere on earth
Doris Frances Gurney "Garden Thoughts"
I've tried to compost hair, and i will agree. It's gross.Chris_W wrote:I had an experience with hair once, and I was so grossed out by it that I won't ever recommend it, and on top of that, it didn't work. I'll leave it at that... The details would probably gross others out too.
Thanks for all of the input. Hopefully, they will find my yard not as appealing as others.
I saw a research paper that indicated hanging soap bars at the height of a deers nose helped to deter them. I haven't tried it yet. There seem to be more deer this year. Last Thursday I caught 3 adults eating our lawn in broad daylight. I had to really shout to get them to run away.
Now I'm using the .22 to shoot just over their heads hoping to frighten them from coming around.
Someone said they only "mowed" the plants down. If they get a chance they will yank them out of the ground too.
MollyD
Now I'm using the .22 to shoot just over their heads hoping to frighten them from coming around.
Someone said they only "mowed" the plants down. If they get a chance they will yank them out of the ground too.
MollyD
MollyD's Hosta list
Lat: 42.89N, Lon: 77.28W
Lat: 42.89N, Lon: 77.28W
I rely on liquid fence, combined with a 8' fence on the perimeter where it isn't an eyesore. I used to use Tree Guard, which is effective and long lasting - but it is based on a sticky, bitter substance called "bitrex" - I think an extract from milkweed. I liked it for sticking on the plants for a couple of months, but didn't like the sticky spots that were apparent on the hostas. Liquid Fence spots disappear with rain and watering, but it keeps on being effective as Chris outlined.
I tried all the other things listed. Irish Spring can end up costing more than the spray... ditto for mothballs for varmint repelling - and I hate the smell of Irish Spring and mothballs in the garden.
If you are going to use human pee (and I tried it and found it totally ineffective in my garden in well traveled deer traffic areas) you can increase the effectiveness by using something to absorb the pee and to keep it from getting immediately rained into the ground. An example - cement blocks will absorb the pee and if you put in on the "inside" parts of the block, the top will keep the rain off somewhat.
It is amazing how easy it is for a man to fill a gallon milk jug in the bathroom, making it easy to distribute in an even pattern around the garden perimeter - and avoiding embarrasing incidents with neighbors and passersby. (This may be the single situation in which men are superior to women.)
I tried all the other things listed. Irish Spring can end up costing more than the spray... ditto for mothballs for varmint repelling - and I hate the smell of Irish Spring and mothballs in the garden.
If you are going to use human pee (and I tried it and found it totally ineffective in my garden in well traveled deer traffic areas) you can increase the effectiveness by using something to absorb the pee and to keep it from getting immediately rained into the ground. An example - cement blocks will absorb the pee and if you put in on the "inside" parts of the block, the top will keep the rain off somewhat.
It is amazing how easy it is for a man to fill a gallon milk jug in the bathroom, making it easy to distribute in an even pattern around the garden perimeter - and avoiding embarrasing incidents with neighbors and passersby. (This may be the single situation in which men are superior to women.)
Izzy we do when they're in season. Unfortunately the season only last a few weeks in December and then it's illegal to kill them. No one said I couldn't scare them off One of my favorite meats!
I'm a bit worried cause I am seeing far more on a daily basis than last year.
MollyD
One of my favorite meats!I'm a bit worried cause I am seeing far more on a daily basis than last year.
MollyD
MollyD's Hosta list
Lat: 42.89N, Lon: 77.28W
Lat: 42.89N, Lon: 77.28W
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Bill Meyer
- Posts: 206
- Joined: Feb 17, 2003 3:18 pm
- Location: New Jersey
- Contact:
Hi Everybody,
Deer are trouble, no doubt about it. The best way to deal with them is a fence. Dogs that can chase them is second. After that, I would say that spraying them with something that actually makes them inedible like really hot pepper mixes or bitrex will work well if you keep the spray refreshed when necessary. If they learn they taste bad (not smell bad and taste good) you are in good shape.
All the other things should be considered temporary measures. They will work for a while then suddenly become ineffective. They work by either triggering prey animal instincts or by trying to fool them with unfamiliar smells. Deer are smart enough to get past these things in time if they have enough need to. If the only food around is in your garden they will learn that the sounds and smells and water sprays and all won't hurt them and that the plants really are good food.
I've watched them probe and test to see if they can eat things. As herbivores they need to eat a lot of low-value food and this is their main activity - eating, eating, eating. Most of their brainpower is devoted to food, and if it is getting scarce they will eat almost any kind of plant material. They are not carbon copies of each other. They have personalities and some are more adventurous and seem to enjoy trying new foods. Sometimes the "boss" buck will order a younger female to test new foods, sometimes an adventurous one will be born into a herd that will show the others it is safe, sometimes a bigger herd pushes them into new territory - they are unpredictable.
They will exhaust their favorite foods in time because they eat so much and then either try new things or move on. Population pressure may keep them in a smaller area and this can push them into trying anything to survive. Things are always changing and "scare" measures will only work until they figure them out.
If you don't want to do any of the things that work best, you should mix your methods to keep them from getting too comfortable with any particular one. This will be an ongoing war that you could lose at any turn, so you need to keep at it. If they start eating your plants get after them immediately. Once they find out they taste good and it is safe they will be back every day until the food is gone. Generally they are nervous about being near houses so watch out for neighbors feeding them. This gets them accustomed to eating around houses.
.........Bill Meyer
Deer are trouble, no doubt about it. The best way to deal with them is a fence. Dogs that can chase them is second. After that, I would say that spraying them with something that actually makes them inedible like really hot pepper mixes or bitrex will work well if you keep the spray refreshed when necessary. If they learn they taste bad (not smell bad and taste good) you are in good shape.
All the other things should be considered temporary measures. They will work for a while then suddenly become ineffective. They work by either triggering prey animal instincts or by trying to fool them with unfamiliar smells. Deer are smart enough to get past these things in time if they have enough need to. If the only food around is in your garden they will learn that the sounds and smells and water sprays and all won't hurt them and that the plants really are good food.
I've watched them probe and test to see if they can eat things. As herbivores they need to eat a lot of low-value food and this is their main activity - eating, eating, eating. Most of their brainpower is devoted to food, and if it is getting scarce they will eat almost any kind of plant material. They are not carbon copies of each other. They have personalities and some are more adventurous and seem to enjoy trying new foods. Sometimes the "boss" buck will order a younger female to test new foods, sometimes an adventurous one will be born into a herd that will show the others it is safe, sometimes a bigger herd pushes them into new territory - they are unpredictable.
They will exhaust their favorite foods in time because they eat so much and then either try new things or move on. Population pressure may keep them in a smaller area and this can push them into trying anything to survive. Things are always changing and "scare" measures will only work until they figure them out.
If you don't want to do any of the things that work best, you should mix your methods to keep them from getting too comfortable with any particular one. This will be an ongoing war that you could lose at any turn, so you need to keep at it. If they start eating your plants get after them immediately. Once they find out they taste good and it is safe they will be back every day until the food is gone. Generally they are nervous about being near houses so watch out for neighbors feeding them. This gets them accustomed to eating around houses.
.........Bill Meyer
If you thought the auction was fun, come to the meeting!
You must have unique deer out your way! Here the females spend most of the year with other females and their offspring. Males tend to travel alone unless they're young males and then they group together. The genders come together only at the rut (mating season) and separate once it's over.
Fences are great but unless it's 7' high and clear to the ground they can either jump it or crawl under. Yep they can crawl under any fence with at least 18" of clearance.
Boy do I hate them! Some people say the deer are lazy and won't jump a 4' fence. I've got news for them! It all depends on how much food is on their side of the fence and if they're being chased!
When you've got a large garden fencing is an expensive option!!
MollyD
Fences are great but unless it's 7' high and clear to the ground they can either jump it or crawl under. Yep they can crawl under any fence with at least 18" of clearance.
Boy do I hate them! Some people say the deer are lazy and won't jump a 4' fence. I've got news for them! It all depends on how much food is on their side of the fence and if they're being chased!When you've got a large garden fencing is an expensive option!!
MollyD
MollyD's Hosta list
Lat: 42.89N, Lon: 77.28W
Lat: 42.89N, Lon: 77.28W
At our garden club meeting last night ,they had a speaker that told us (among lots of other topics) that a product called Repels All works better than the Liquid Fence at it's natural, too.....I will look into it.....he also said that Indiana can not sell it and he doesn't know why, but that Illinois can.... 
http://www.arbico-organics.com/1287601.html
http://www.arbico-organics.com/1287601.html
states all have different rules on these things. I can't get most weed killers and bug systemics here without a license while over in Ohio or Pa the same products might be available!
MollyD
MollyD
MollyD's Hosta list
Lat: 42.89N, Lon: 77.28W
Lat: 42.89N, Lon: 77.28W
I am "cooking" a batch of my home made Deer Off as I type. It is similar to Liquid Fence but LOADS cheaper! I reapply often - usually after every rain and in the summer about every other week.
Deer Off
(makes 1 gallon)
4 eggs
1 – 2 tbsp cayenne
1 – 2 tbsp garlic powder
1/4 cup Wilt-Pruf (as a sticker spreader - do NOT use on blue hostas)
1/4 cup Neptunes Harvest liquid fertilizer (foliar feed)
Water
Put 4 raw eggs in a blender. Add cayenne and garlic powder. Blend on high until completely mixed. Pour into an empty gallon container. Add Wilt-Pruf, Neptunes Harvest and enough water to make a gallon. Mix well. Leave it in a warm place for about a week. I put it on top of the refrigerator when it is cold out and in the sun when it is hot enough to "cure" it.
Spray frequently on plants, especially after rain. The smell dissipates when it dries.
**** The important note here is do not include the Wilt Pruf if you are spraying any plant with a glaucous leaf. THe Wilt Pruf will remove it and your blue hostas will immediately look green, however it is great to make the mixure last a bit longer on daylilys and roses, etc.
Your Dollar Store will have cheap garlic granules (NOT garlic salt) and cayenne - don't get the expensive stuff!
Deer Off
(makes 1 gallon)
4 eggs
1 – 2 tbsp cayenne
1 – 2 tbsp garlic powder
1/4 cup Wilt-Pruf (as a sticker spreader - do NOT use on blue hostas)
1/4 cup Neptunes Harvest liquid fertilizer (foliar feed)
Water
Put 4 raw eggs in a blender. Add cayenne and garlic powder. Blend on high until completely mixed. Pour into an empty gallon container. Add Wilt-Pruf, Neptunes Harvest and enough water to make a gallon. Mix well. Leave it in a warm place for about a week. I put it on top of the refrigerator when it is cold out and in the sun when it is hot enough to "cure" it.
Spray frequently on plants, especially after rain. The smell dissipates when it dries.
**** The important note here is do not include the Wilt Pruf if you are spraying any plant with a glaucous leaf. THe Wilt Pruf will remove it and your blue hostas will immediately look green, however it is great to make the mixure last a bit longer on daylilys and roses, etc.
Your Dollar Store will have cheap garlic granules (NOT garlic salt) and cayenne - don't get the expensive stuff!
Spring - An experience in immortality.
- Henry D. Thoreau
- Henry D. Thoreau