Deer In Your Backyard

photo: (c) Jim Nachel

As developing communities continue to expand into areas that were once open and wild, deer become more frequent visitors to suburban and even some urban backyards. Although beautiful, deer have been known to cause serious problems when suitable habitat is scarce or populations grow too large. It is best to discourage deer before they become a problem. Once your garden becomes a regular stop, it is that much harder to exclude deer because deer tend to follow consistent routes in search of food.

Consider the following when dealing with problem deer:

Physical Barricades

• Fences: Excellent jumpers, deer require fencing of at least 8 ft. high. However, deer won't jump fences if they can't see what is on the other side, so to have a shorter fence it is best to make it solid. Deer are great at both long and high jumping, but have difficulty combining the two. As an alternative, create a fence that slants outwards from your garden at a 45-degree angle with the high end 6.5 ft. from the ground. Make sure deer can't squeeze underneath the fence and that gates are secure.
• Protecting trees: Encircle the trunks of vulnerable trees and shrubs with 5 ft. high netting or trunk wrap.

Repellents

Mix either two tablespoons of hot pepper sauce or five eggs and some pureed garlic with four quarts of water. Spray plants thoroughly, reapplying after rain. Do not use this mixture on food plants that you intend to harvest for your use. Hanging bars of deodorant soap around your garden also seems to work in many areas.

Plants

Interplant smelly plants that deer are not fond of like onion (Alliaria, Allium) and wild ginger (Asarum canadense) with your vulnerable plants. Plant thorny, prickly, smelly or unappetizing plants like crabapples around entrances where deer generally gain access to your garden. Avoid plants that deer love, such as apples and cherries. Deer will eat tulips but not daffodils. Illinois natives such as black-eyed susan and foxglove also seem to deter deer.

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