We must consider the facts when it comes to deer: if deer are stressed by drought, an increase in their population or a loss of browsing area, they can become a menace.
There are basically five typical solutions which have been tried in the past with limited or short-term success. People ask me on a regular basis, "What can I use to keep deer out of my garden?" My answer to them is, "I wish I knew, because I would be a rich man."
One temporary way to rid dear from the garden is fear. However, scaring them away only works for a short period of time. If the deer are hungry, they will be back. A few ways to scare deer include: loud music or lights flashing when motion detectors sense their presence and dogs barking.
Another way to deter deer from eating your favorite plants and flowers is through the use of sensory deterrents. These include hot sauce sprayed on the plant, egg spray consisting of 2-3 blended rotten eggs in a gallon of water sprayed on the foliage, Hinder which is commercial product made of ammonium soap, and milorganite spread in the garden at 5 lbs per square foot.
Building a barrier to prevent or deter deer from entering a landscape or garden area is a third option. There are several ways to accomplish this. One method is to protect individual plants using plastic or chicken wire.
Another method is the old "tripper-upper", which is unrolled chicken wire placed on the ground near your plants so its still springy. Deer don't like unstable footing. One last fool-proof method is a fence, the taller the better. Also, if you can slant the fence away from the garden at a slight angle, it will be even more effective.
Another great way to keep deer out of the garden is an electric fence. The traditional fence consists of 5 wires with the bottom wire 10 inches from the ground & the others 12 inches apart.
Another type of electric fence uses a single strand of wire 30 inches above the ground with aluminum foil flags placed every 4 or 5 feet along the wire. The trick is to bait the the aluminum foil with peanut butter. The deer will certainly be surprised and will not be back anytime soon.
The last way to manage deer is by selecting plants which are deer resistant or at least tolerant of some feeding damage. For a list of deer tolerant plants, access the UGA Extension publication, Deer Tolerant Ornamental Plants.
Billy Skaggs Agricultural Agent Hall County Extension Coordinator
734 East Crescent Drive
Gainesville, GA 30501
Phone:(770)531-6988
Fax: (770)531-3994
Email: [email protected]
Tuesday
August 5th, 2025
8:11PM
