News Article 
News Article
By Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont
Deer have always caused damage to landscapes, but more so in recent years.
This has ceased to be just a rural problem, with reports of some of the
worst feeding on desirable ornamental plants now occurring in urban areas.
The increased deer populations arise in part from decreased predators, several years of mild winters, the abundant food we offer them in our gardens, more homes built in their former territory and on their paths, and laws in some communities protecting wildlife.
Although no system for controlling deer feeding will totally work all the time, some techniques are more effective than others. Much of the effectiveness depends on the size of the deer population, availability of other and preferred food sources, and the system itself. These and other factors explain why a repellent may work well at one site and not at another, or a plant is attractive in one area and not another.
Least effective are perhaps taste and smell repellents, making plants taste or smell objectionable. If deer are hungry enough, or prefer a certain plant, these objections are easily overcome. However, they are the least expensive method and are thus, a good starting point. Repellents can be purchased from many feed stores and suppliers. Many of these have to be reapplied after heavy rains, making this process time consuming and expensive in some years.
In the "smell" category of repellents is soaps. It appears the more odorous the soap, the more objectionable to deer. You can use bars of soap purchased from grocers and food clubs. Cut large bars in quarters. Soap should be hung in original wrappers or cloth bags to help keep them from dissolving too fast. Hang soap on small stakes near plants, fences, or similar above ground objects, spacing the stakes about every 10 feet. Soap placed on branches may attract voles, creating yet another problem!
Human hair from hair salons is also reputed to work as a repellent. Place it in bags and hang as you would the soaps.
Predator urines are one of the latest products available on the market. These really do stink, and with a deer's keen sense of smell, a little goes a long way! As with other repellents, they have to be reapplied frequently after rains. Or, you may saturate a wad of cotton, then place it in a plastic vial with holes. This supposedly will last a month.
A problem with these predator smells is that if there are no predators in the area, the deer will not have learned that this is a smell of danger. So if the predator urines don't work, perhaps this is the reason.
Another reason deer are still eating your plants may be that they are just learning your tricks! Deer are fairly smart in this respect, and unless you move deterrents around or change them often, deer may figure out that these will cause them no harm. The same applies to noises used to repel deer.
If used properly, noises may be moderately effective. Deer quickly become used to stationery objects and sounds, so if ultrasonic or similar sound emitters or radios are used, they should be rotated frequently.
Mixed results have been reported with the often expensive ultrasonic units. If radios are used, they should be tuned to all night talk shows, as human voices are more effective than music, and don't have to be very loud to be effective. Radios may also be placed on timers to go on and off periodically throughout the night. Or they may be connected to a motion sensor, triggering them to turn on when motion is sensed nearby.
Other means to deal with deer feeding on desirable landscape plants
are to exclude them with electric or high fences, or to use plants deer
generally do not like to eat, such as Shasta daisies, globe thistles, irises,
daffodils, and several types of ornamental ferns, in your landscape plans.
Check with your local garden center for other ideas.
