5 Humane and Effective Ways to Keep Deer Out of Your Garden

Deer are one of the most dreaded wildlife pests since they eat nearly everything in their path, even plants that claim to be deer-resistant.

So what's a gardener to do? You DON'T have to put up an electric fence—there are better, safer, and more humane ways to keep deer out of your garden.

Here are 5 effective strategies to use right now.

Plant things they don’t like to eat.

01.

There are plants that deer don’t like to eat versus plants they like to eat… though a hungry or curious deer will try anything at least once or twice.

Build or extend an existing fence.

02.

Go with 7 feet minimum. This is how tall a fence needs to be to keep deer from jumping over the top.

Enclose garden beds or plants individually.

03.

If you only need to protect a few vegetable beds or specific plants, it may be easier to enclose those plants individually with cloches, cages, netting, or other physical barriers.

Use deer spray or other natural repellents.

04.

Many of them include active ingredients like cinnamon, clove, or mint in their formulas (scents that deer dislike) and are harmless to wildlife, pets, and children.

Never feed the deer.

05.

Encouraging deer to come around your yard can also be unsafe for your pets. Though deer are generally very timid and gentle, they’ve been known to attack dogs if they feel threatened or want to protect their young.

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