In most areas of the United States, deer are a nuisance. Deer will walk on flowers and chew on trees. They will eat just about anything they can find and cause a lot of problems for people who have gardens or other outdoor spaces that attract deer. If you’re tired of dealing with these pests, read on for ways to keep them away from your garden.
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Add Fencing
One of the easiest ways to keep deer away from your garden is to create a fence around it. The best material for this task is wire mesh. You can attach this wire mesh to wooden stakes that you drive into the ground or connect it directly to wood fencing that surrounds your yard. If you don’t want a fence that tall, you can attach the wire mesh to shorter fence panels around the outside of your garden. Deer generally will not jump over high fences (six feet or higher).
Spray Plants With Repellent
You can also use sprays to repel deer. There are several different types of deer repellents on the market. These sprays are available at most garden centers and online. Before you go out and buy a bottle of spray, take a moment to research them to see which is best for your garden. Some sprays only repel deer in certain situations but aren’t all-encompassing solutions. You can create your own spray using garlic oil, but it will only work on certain plants, especially roses and other flowering plants with a similar scent to garlic.
Set Up Motion Lights
If you’re concerned about deer coming near your garden when it’s dark, one of the best things you can do is set up motion lights around the perimeter. These are track- or motion-activated lights with very bright bulbs. When they sense movement, they turn on and scare off any animals in the area with their brightness. You can easily install these types of lights near your garden, so they come on if there are any deer nearby trying to munch on your plants.
Set Up Some Windchimes
Windchimes can be an excellent way to add background noise, especially when you’re outside enjoying your backyard. If you’re looking for something cheap, easy to do, and won’t hurt your garden in any way, try setting up some wind chimes near the perimeter of your yard. Deer will stay away from the area where the chimes are because they make noise. Deer hate wind chimes because of how they sound, so this is another good option if you want to keep deer out but don’t want to use chemicals or plants with bitter leaves.
Install Plant Nets
If you’re growing vegetables and other types of plants that deer will often target for a meal, consider adding plant nets to them. This way, the deer won’t be able to eat your hard work, and all of the vegetables will grow up strong and healthy. These nets are not expensive and will cover a small area around your garden, so the deer cannot reach it with their mouths. This is an easy solution if you have a lot of smaller plants or bushes but don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars adding fencing to each one of them.
Use Tin Cans To Your Advantage
Try hanging up some tin cans that rattle as the wind blows. This will scare deer away and also not do any damage to your garden or plants. Deer hate how rattling sounds, especially when they’re startled by it. If you hang the cans up before you go outside and make them sensitive to movement like a wind chime, the deer won’t even come close and will be scared off immediately and keep their distance from your yard during future visits. This is also a great way to recycle old cans!
Conclusion
Deer can be a considerable nuisance and cause a lot of damage to gardens, plants, and flowers. But with a little bit of effort, you can keep them away and protect your garden from any further damage. Try adding some lavender, rue, or other plants deer generally won’t eat. Try to install motion lights that come on when anything moves nearby to scare away deer. Another option is to set upwind chimes near the perimeter of your yard. You could also try adding fake coyote decoys that will scare off most visitors. Plant nets are another great way to protect vegetables and smaller plants, while tin cans can help scare away deer just by rattling in the wind. These are all effective ways to protect your garden from any future damage caused by deer or other animals.
