THOMPSON LANDSCAPE TIPS

Over the years, the deer population in the Midwest escalated to invasive levels, leaving homeowners furious and plants continuously damaged. With the recent development of urban areas where deer once lived, this problem continues to grow and frustrate all involved.

The amount of deer damage in your landscape depends on several factors, including the following: size of the local population, size of the territory, other available food sources, and time of year. Also, what a deer eats depends in large part on its nutritional needs and past experiences. Deer opt to eat annuals and herbaceous perennials during spring and summer months and woody plants (shrubs and trees) in the winter.

The following are aspects to consider when blocking deer from your landscape.

1. Fence Systems: Deer fence need to be eight to ten feet high to be very effective; the shorter the fence, the higher the risk for damage. If deer opt to enter your property via your driveway, consider a gate at the entrance or wire cages in the garden.
2. Repellents: Repellents fall into two categories: repellents by taste and repellents by disagreeable odor. Gardeners have noticed that disagreeable odor repellents work better than those requiring taste. Companies offer a variety of odor repellents, including coyote urine, ammonia, and rotten eggs, and peppermint repellents work well on fragrant plants. When using these on plant materials, apply when temperature is between 40-80 degrees Fahrenheit and allow time to dry for 48 hours without precipitation; they should last roughly four to five weeks.
3. Landscaping Plants: A great way to deter deer is to experiment and plant material they dislike eating. The following is a short list of the material they have been known (in most cases) to continually avoid:
   • Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
   • Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)
   • Boxwood (Buxus spp.)
   • Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii)
   • Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Narcissus spp.)
   • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
   • Bee Balm (Monarda bradbriana)