Do you have trouble with deer ruining your landscaping?  Here is some advise on how to keep the cute, but pesky and destructive little creatures away.  The first thing you need to understand is that deer will eat just about anything.  The other thing to remember is that if they were there first, they’ll come back.

To begin, try to create a landscape that is deer resistant.  You should call your local nursery to get a list of deer resistant plants for your area.  These will include plants that are poisonous to deer and many plants that are native to your area.  If a native plant has lived for thousands of years in your area, it must be because the plant has some mechanism that makes it distasteful to deer.

Keep in mind that very few plants are truly deer proof.  They are generally resistant if anything at all.  Even plants that look like nothing should want to eat them, like roses with all the thorns or holly with the sharp barbs, will be eaten.  Anything that is resistant will be eaten when the tender, new growth emerges.  Anything that will make a deer sick will be eaten in times of drought when nothing else is available.

Things that may be worth trying:

1. Get a dog.  Doggy droppings tell the deer that a predator may be in the area and they will probably stay away.  Barking is also a good deterrent. 
2. Build a tall fence.
3. Install an electric fence around the landscaping you want to protect.
4. Install what looks like an electric fence, but use wire or nylon line that isn’t plugged into anything.  If the deer have been conditioned by the neighbors that electric fences are bad, this may keep them away from your plants.
5. Spray a commercial deer repellant on things the deer like to eat.  The problem with this is that you may need to reapply it every time it rains and after significant plant growth.
6. Chop garlic and hot peppers and soak them in water for a couple of days.  Strain, put into a spray bottle and start spraying.  Reapply after rain or new growth.
7. Gather human hair from a salon, place it in tea bags and hang around your plants that you want to protect.  Replace the hair monthly (this won’t work if deer are used to being around humans).
8. Spray a mixture of 80% water and 20% eggs on the plants.  Reapply every month.
9. Protect small tree trunks during the rutting season by wrapping them with rubber tubing or with a fence.  Bucks will use the trees to rub the velvet off their antlers.

What about your lawn?  In general, deer are not a problem for most lawns.  However, if they get used to bedding down in your yard, they may lay in the same spots each night.  This can cause grass to die off in spots.  What to do?  Get in the habit of scaring the deer away every time you see them.  Install a motion detector that turns on the sprinkler system.  Sprinkle red pepper flakes over those spots (they may just move…).  Buy a dog, build a fence or see other items 4-9 above.