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There is no simple solution for problem deer in urban areas http://www.extension.umn.edu/extensionnewsI2001/The... L:NIVERSTTY OF MlN~ESOTA Home .. \V()[kshops .. Cl Ofn\:c~ . Online Sl101 -'II~ Extension Community SERYICE - July 13,2001 There is no simple solution for problem deer in urban areas There is no simple solution for dealing with deer that damage gardens and landscapes in urban areas. Deer that are hungry enough will eat almost any kind of plant, says Beth Jarvis, Yard and Garden Line coordinator with the University of Minnesota Extension Service. Young trees and shrubs and vegetable gardens can become the main sources of food for deer in urban areas. "Deer are generally more likely to damage young, tender plants than older tougher plants," says Jarvis. "And they like some plants better than others. But don't mix plants they prefer among those they dislike. They'll trample the plants they dislike to get to those they prefer." Although there is no method that is always effective for preventing damage by deer, there are strategies that can help. Jarvis says you can reduce damage by deer to the home landscape by growing plants that deer find unattractive, fencing deer out or using repellents. Jarvis says landscape nursery operators are good sources of information on what plants deer tend to browse. You can also check with neighbors and friends for their experiences with specific plants. And you can experiment with different plants and keep records of which ones deer ignore. However, environmental pressures may cause deer to browse plants they have previously ignored, Jarvis points out. Fences can reduce the number of deer that enter an area, but they're not 100 percent effective, says Jarvis. For a small garden patch, she suggests a building four- foot-high fence or enclosing the area with snow fence. "For a larger lawn or garden, fence made of wire, not wood, angled away from the yard creates both a psychological and physical barrier," says Jarvis. "Deer will hesitate to jump over something in which they fear becoming entangled. The fence should be six feet high and have a 30-degree angle to be effective. A fence angled toward the yard is no psychological barrier. Deer will jump a vertical fence eight feet high, particularly if it's made of wood." Electric fencing has been used with some success by tree nurseries, says Jarvis. Strips of aluminum foil smeared with peanut better attached to electric fencing lure deer to the fence, where they lick the peanut butter and get a shock. Electric fences attached to a higher voltage charger can deter deer as the animals hear the hum ofthe charge without touching the wires. But electric fences may not be suitable for urban areas, especially where children are nearby. Two basic types of deer repellents are available, notes Jarvis. Contact repellents are applied to the plants, 10f2 08/1612003 10:32 PM