How to keep deer off your property: How could something so beautiful be so destructive? In Bergen County, deer are more likely to change their traffic patterns every year because of property development. One year you’re fine, then a couple of houses go up five blocks away and you’re in trouble. The overpopulation of the animals, coupled with a thinning of woodlands, has caused them to be hungrier and more desperate—especially in the winter.
Deer Life
The skittish nocturnal animals are up all night, but most often seen roaming during the two hours before sundown, and early in the morning. Deer have no upper incisors, so twigs and stems they have browsed show a rough, shredded surface. When eating branches, they strip the bark and leave no teeth marks. Compare the evidence to that of rabbits, who leave a sharp cut and rodents, who leave narrow teeth marks.
Dangerous Beauties
Deer damage goes beyond watching your hostas vaporize overnight. Deer spread Lyme disease by carrying the ticks that spread it. They cause injury to passengers in cars that hit them or swerve to avoid them–or are traveling behind them. And they destroy property in search of food. Populated, developed areas like Bergen County don’t see as many deer as other regions, but with relatively little forestation in the county, deer are more likely to feed on home landscapes. Is there a no-fail method to keeping them off your property? “Nothing is 100%,” advises Mitch Knapp of Scenic Landscaping, “But there are definitely ways to discourage them.”
Plant Choices
Selecting plants unattractive to deer is a practical, easy way to deter the visitors. Knapp has seen entire landscapes destroyed when the wrong plants were chosen. He suggests planning out a yard with a licensed landscape architect or horticulturist, even if the homeowner or a less experienced landscaper will do the actual buying and planting. Working with a talented planner may also mean that you can still enjoy your favorite plants, even if deer share that affection. The expert would typically surround them with plants the deer avoid. Poor or no planning can mean a devastated garden. Even with a reputable landscaper (who typically guarantees his work), you’ll have to start from scratch to replant, and the seasonal timing isn’t likely to be ideal.
Deer Repellents
Knapp has found repellents like deerBgone very effective. The natural spray is applied professionally seven to 12 times a season, and is safe for children, pets, and even the deer (it’s the taste and smell that deters the intruders).
Fencing
Six foot fencing is the gold standard to repel deer, but in very active areas, Knapp has seen deer jump that height. “In extreme cases, a deer will crash through even an eight-foot fence to get to food. But if you have any kind of fence and your neighbor doesn’t, the deer is naturally going to go where access is easier.” And any fence is more effective if deer can’t see what is on the other side. Laying material uncomfortable to a deer’s hooves, like corrugated metal, around the perimeter of your property is also helpful.
Netting
Flexible, degradable netting can be placed over tempting young plantings for the winter, when deer are hungriest and most destructive.
How to Keep Deer Off Your Property: Home remedies
Bags of human hair, Irish Spring soap, egg sprays, wolf urine, dried blood and even getting a dog are reported to have worked for more than one garden. Worth a try!
Mitch Knapp’s Top 3 plant groups to help keep deer off your property:
Use
- Ornamental grasses
- Boxwood
- Spruces
Avoid Planting
- Hostas
- Azalea/rhododendron
- Delicate perennials
Rutgers Coop Extension has a handy chart rating plants for deer resistance.
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