DEEP offers tips on deterring deer from gardens

Written by Ralph Petitti

Monday, 04 June 2012 09:06

As Milford residents gear up for prime growing season this summer, they’ll have to keep an eye out for more than tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, as Connecticut’s large white-tailed deer population may prove too great a challenge for even the best green-thumbs in town.

“These loving animals are destroying our gardens here in the center of town in the historic district a well as other areas, I am sure,” said one resident who lives near the downtown area. “Neighbors have met to discuss ways to discourage the deer. We have tried all manner of aids to discourage them but already they have destroyed my flocks and hosta for the year, they nibble off the new shoots just as they come up to three or four inches.

“Each year the herd that wanders from yard to yard daily grows and grows. It is very disappointing to say the least that after 50 years of gardening I have had to abandon my flower and vegetable gardens,” she continued.

Deer are well known for their destructive effect on vegetation and their presence is all but guaranteed to endanger garden plants.

According to Managing Urban Deer in Connecticut, a guide published by the Connecticut Department of Energy Environmental Protection (DEEP) in 2007, deer can eat five to ten pounds of forage per day.

“In residential areas, overabundant deer herds can impact flower and vegetable gardens and defoliate landscape planting,” according to the DEEP.

But what can be done to prevent deer from accessing property and undoing hard work? The Managing Urban Deer in Connecticut guide spells out several ways in which to combat the deer threat.

First among these measures is fencing. The guide suggests that any number of types can be effective in preventing deer from wandering onto property.

Woven wire, chain-link, stockade and even electric fencing can prove sufficient deterrents to deer. However, the guide cautions that fencing can prove costly to install and maintain.

Also mentioned are different types of taste and odor repellents available from big box stores or local garden centers.

The guide states, “Repellents can be costly and labor intensive, have varying degrees of effectiveness, and require multiple applications.”

Also worth considering, the guide mentions ultrasonic devices which are calibrated in such a way as to emit sound waves that disturb deer rather than humans and their pets.

The efficacy of such devices, according to the guide, has yet to be proven.

The DEEP Wildlife Division also suggests planting valued crops away from woods, shrub rows or other places deer might hide. In other words, it might be a good idea to center gardens closer to the home and away from the edges of the property.

The DEEP Wildlife website recommends growing one or some of the following plants as they are unpalatable to deer and may deter them: Persimmon, lilac, boxwood, jasmine, holly, pepper tree, wax myrtle, century plant and narcissus. These could be planted along the edges of the property.

None of these methods will be 100% effective in protecting residents’ gardens from hungry deer, but a smart combination might save gardeners some headaches.

For more information on crop damage dangers posed by white-tailed deer, go to www.ct.gov/dep/wildlife.