Marianne's Response

Deer problem!

Hi Marianne 🙂 do you have any tricks on keeping deer out of my yard. They are definitely enjoying what they can find…I try to plant deer resistant plants, shrubs, trees. I have tried hanging Irish during soap, & sprays/granules. I live on So Hill Puyallup. Thank you!

Posted by Denise Alvord on March 19, 2019

Marianne's Response

Oh Deer! The suburban deer seem to like our plants better than the native plants and become so tame that smells of humans or soap do not scared them at all. The only real solution is a deer fence at least 7 feet tall. Other ideas that work for awhile are blood and egg sprays (Plantskyd, Deer Away) and some gardeners scare them off with a motion activated sprinkler called the Scarecrow. This year I am trying a new device  called a wireless deer fence. Developed by a veterinarian it consists of 3 stakes that you fill with batteries and a scented lure. The deer are attracted to the lure, but when they lick the stake they get a shock from the batteries.  The kit costs about $60 so much less than a fence. You can order any of the above products from Amazon....including a few books on deer proofing your garden. Bottom line: Deer will eat any plant if they are hungry enough. A fence works best.