Springtime is when deer damage is most noticeable, particularly as plants awaken from months of dormancy and prepare to bloom. Deer are the poster critters of natural adaptability. As suburbia has encroached on their wild habitat, deer have adjusted easily, finding plenty to eat in residential landscapes.

“In the early part of the 20th century, the deer population in the U.S. was less than half a million animals,” says Greg Ecsedy, owner of Bobbex Inc., which manufactures deer repellent. “Today, estimates place the deer population at between 15 million and 20 million animals that cause about $1 billion a year in damage to farms, gardens, yards and timber.”

“We know that deer will eat more than 500 different types of plants, so there’s a good chance that something you’ve planted will appeal to them, and you can bet they’ll eat it,” Ecsedy says.

Since deer need to consume a high volume of calories to survive – bucks weighing 125 to 250 pounds need 4,000 to 6,000 calories per day – their foraging can cause significant damage to suburban landscapes. Deer seldom travel alone, so a small herd can devastate a neighborhood quickly. Deer’s close proximity to people over the course of time has dulled their natural fear, so it’s quite common to see multiple deer nonchalantly noshing away – right outside your window.

Deer’s adaptability stems from their capacity to learn. Homeowners can defend their landscape by putting deer’s natural learning ability to good use. Deterrents that convince the deer your yard is no longer a desirable dining destination can successfully protect your home environment from these foraging foes.

Several methods can be effective in deterring deer, including the use of repellents like all-natural Bobbex Deer Repellent. Common solutions include:

* Deer Repellent – Deer rely heavily on their sense of smell to assess the desirability of an area for feeding, and to alert them to danger. Disrupting their sense of smell can disrupt their sense of security, which is why scent-based repellents often prove effective. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station gave Bobbex a 93 percent protection index – second only to a fence, at 100 percent, for effectiveness. The repellent uses ingredients that blend the scents of putrescent eggs, garlic, fish, clove oil and other proteins, so it smells and tastes awful to deer. It’s environmentally friendly and safe for animals and your family.

Apply it in almost any weather, it dries clear, won’t wash off after heavy rain or burn plants and grass. Bobbex Deer Repellent is available online at www.homedepot.com and in garden retail stores. To learn more, visit www.bobbex.com.

* Deer Deterrent Devices – Motion-activated noise makers and lights can scare deer off for a short time. Deer’s movement in the yard can activate motion lights at night, scaring them away, during the day you can use motion-activated sound. It’s likely, however, that deer will become acclimated to both tactics over time, and the sound and motion might not have an effect on them.

* Deer Fence – Fencing is considered the only surefire way to keep deer out of a garden, but keep in mind that deer have been known to jump 10-foot fences, and many communities restrict the height of fencing. You may not be able to put up a fence high enough to keep deer away – plus, fencing might not be practical and can be costly.

* Deer Resistant Flowers – Another option is to grow plants that deer don’t like. A hungry deer will eat just about anything, but you may have some success by planting deer-resistant flowers and plants like catmint, hellebore, yarrow, fuzzy lamb’s ear, and cleome near the plants you want to protect.

“Gardening on a rural acreage with a large deer population proved challenging in all seasons until we discovered Bobbex Deer Repellent,” says garden writer Jan Patrick. “We like that the same product we used to protect our shrubs and dwarf conifers in winter also effectively protects the summer garden. The fertilizer value of Bobbex is an extra plus.”

The post Keep Deer From Devouring Your Yard and Garden first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

Deer, in particular, are creatures of habit. Their noses will lead them to return to areas where food is tasty, abundant and safe to forage. Once animals are attracted to an area and begin feeding, it is more difficult to discourage them from returning. Deer have good memories and they learn from each other. When one deer is continually turned away from an area, other deer will be reluctant to enter that area as well.

Deer and other pesky garden visitors use their noses to alert them to nearby danger. Disrupt their sense of security and you’ve achieved the primary factor for turning them away. Research, conducted by the USDA Animal Wildlife Research Center in Olympia, Wash., has proven that odor-based repellents are more effective than other repellent systems, where the animal needs to taste treated plants before being repelled. Studies investigating trends in efficacy of deer repellents indicate that, of the 20 products tested, repellents with active ingredients that emitted sulfurous odors, i.e., bloodmeal or egg solids, generally provided the best results.

Gardeners eager to get those results in their garden have some good options, even if they are concerned about keeping their plots and beds organic. Tree World Plant Care Products, for instance, offers Plantskydd (pronounced “plant-skid”), an Organic Material Review Institute (OMRI)-certified organic repellent that deters deer, rabbits, voles and other small pests. Originally developed in Sweden and now made in the United States, it was the first animal repellent to be listed by OMRI as “safe for organic food production.” “It repels by emitting an odor that browsing animals associate with predator activity – stimulating a fear-based response that will have garden feeders looking for somewhere else to dine,” says Claude Boisvert, president of Tree World.

Remember – foraging animals are creatures of habit. That’s why it’s important to act now to prevent browsing damage. Break their pattern by applying a repellent to your garden and landscape, and you will deter them from your backyard all season long.

Tree World Plant Care Products makes a full line of repellents that are available nationwide at lawn and garden and hardware stores. For more information, visit www.plantskydd.com.

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