Deer repellent

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by Loofah, May 3, 2023.

  1. Loofah

    Loofah Admin Staff Member

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    Does anyone have a suggestion for a deer repellent either sonic or otherwise? I'd opt for lead but I've heard it upsets some :whistle:
     
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    • Sheal

      Sheal Total Gardener

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      From my own experience either an 8ft fence or a gun @Loofah. :biggrin: I don't think there's anything else that would work.

      Deer.JPG
       
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      • noisette47

        noisette47 Total Gardener

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        Oh but there is....I've tested it and proved that it works :) Take one (or several, depending on the size of the garden and the number of vulnerable plants) sheets of builders concrete reinforcing mesh and some strong cutters. Cut 'christmas tree' silhouette shapes with a stem at the bottom to sink into the soil. You can get quite a few out of a sheet by alternating the direction of cut. Stick one of these near attacked or precious plants and the deer won't touch them!


        deer repellent.jpg
         
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        • Sheal

          Sheal Total Gardener

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          I've not heard of that before Noisette. Any i-deer why/how it works please? :)
           
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          • Loofah

            Loofah Admin Staff Member

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            :yikes:
            Witchcraft! :rolleyespink::biggrin:
            What made you think or do this, and how does it work?!
             
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            • shiney

              shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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              We successfully kept deer out after following what the head gardener at Bressingham told us. He used it in their 17 acres of garden. He used cut up blocks of cheap old fashioned soap hung up in small open mesh bags. The old fashioned soap was a lye/tallow one and the bags were like this
              10pcs Soap Mesh Net | SHEIN UK

              Apparently deer have a very sensitive sense of smell and intensive dislike of the soap.

              We hung it on our fence (the top section is chicken wire) and they never returned after that although we see them quite often in the fields behind and in front of our house.

              Prior to that we had extended the rabbit wire fence, only 3ft high, by another 4ft with chicken wire, but kept the wire slightly loose - another old trick. That stopped a lot of intrusions but not all. As the deer tended to jump at the fence, grab the top with their front legs and scramble over they didn't like the effect of the looser chicken wire wobbling towards them and tilting them backwards.

              We also deterred badgers by spraying our boundary with Jeyes fluid. :blue thumb:
               
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              • noisette47

                noisette47 Total Gardener

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                C'est ça! :biggrin: My pet toad tipped me off :roflol:
                No idea why it works, unless they just don't like having their noses prodded. Yet they'll happily munch through the spiniest of rose stems!
                I ran out of 'trees' this year, so stuck Lagerstroemia prunings in the soil, at a slight outward-facing angle, around vulnerable plants. That worked too.
                ETA: Just read shiney's post and I did try the soap thing some time ago. Limited success.....same with CDs hung up to glitter.
                 
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                • shiney

                  shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                  The CD's work well in keeping pigeons off my runner beans :blue thumb:
                   
                • infradig

                  infradig Total Gardener

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                  Build a swimming pool. "A major loss of deer in Surrey is through drowning in swimming pools"
                   
                • Jiffy

                  Jiffy The Match is on Fire

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                  If they are like cow/bullocks/horse's they don't like they nose's being hit
                   
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                  • Loofah

                    Loofah Admin Staff Member

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                    I put up some barricades when I got in from work. Some time later I was watching the deer from the sofa in the kitchen :doh:
                    Having chased it off I saw it disappeared through another hole in the hedge so have plugged that up. Doubt it will be successful but have to do something
                     
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                    • noisette47

                      noisette47 Total Gardener

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                      You've got at least two proven deterrents.....how many do you want? :biggrin:
                       
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                      • shiney

                        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                        [​IMG]
                         
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