Garden Pests

Deer

Deer generally feed in forests and on wild grasses, but when food runs out, they venture out onto the fringes — suburban neighborhoods on the fringe of rural areas — to find food.

Once they find food, they tend to return on a regular basis, usually in the evening. Deer prefer flowering plants, especially roses, but they’ll also eat foliage, fruit, and basically anything that you would eat that’s growing in your garden.

Fencing is your best bet in preventing deer from ruining your garden. A 7-foot woven-wire fence will usually keep deer out, although some deer will jump that. The fence should be even higher if you’re on a slope.

If you don’t want to install a fence, you can try chicken-wire cages and cylinders of wire fencing around individual plants. Cover raised beds with mesh. A watch dog can also help. A large set of wind chimes can be effective if you have wind or stiff breezes.

Also, deer can be scared away by motion-sensing devices attached to lights, loud music or the jets of outdor garden fountains

Unchecked populations of deer are an increasing problem for gardeners throughout the country. If you want to limit deer damage, start early. Barriers such as electric fencing and tall barrier fences have proven to provide the best control where populations are high. Electric fences are usually baited with peanut butter and supply a mild shock that deters deer without harming them. Barrier fences are often constructed of plastic mesh that the deer cannot see well and they are frightened when they walk into it. Both types of barriers are based on conditioned responses; deer avoid an area if they have been startled repeatedly. Fences must be checked periodically to ensure that they are functioning well. Several products that repel deer are available and may be used as a spray on the foliage of the plants that you are trying to protect or in dispensers that produce an odor that is unpleasant or alarming to deer. These work well only when deer populations are low or moderate since deer can overcome their aversion to them when the food supply is low. If your garden has been ravaged by deer, consider planting ornamentals that are unpalatable to them. Decimated yews can be replaced with Japanese plum yew, Cephalotaxus harringtonia. Azaleas and rhododendrons can be replaced with our native mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia.

Common Garden Pests