I like animals. However, I'd like them even more if they kept their collective noses out of my garden and pond. I'm speaking of deer. Because we humans have to build on every last bit of available land, the animals must think that we want them to move in with us.
We have a pond that I built very close to the patio. There are lilies and arrow plants doing quite nicely I must say. Well, not entirely. As soon as the lilies look good, they are eaten by the deer. The arrow plants must not taste good 'cause they don't get touched. SWMBO's Hostas are one of their favorites along with day lilies. Neither barely gets a chance to bloom before they're eaten.
In the past I have tried dried blood, soap, balloons and even one of those water squirting mechanical birds, which just gives them and the Blue Heron a bath that they enjoy.....
The dried blood works until it rains. The soap and balloons were a joke. I have bird netting over part of the pond to keep the Blue Heron from devouring my fish. The section where the lilies are was tromped on by the deer trying top get to the lilies below. So I had some green wire turkey fencing that I placed over the pond a few days ago. It is held up about a foot above the water rather rigidly with cable on one side and fence staples into the gazebo on the other.
Last night the deer actually forced their way under the fencing bending it and totally moving out of their way my Pola water mill. I am at my wits end. My options are dwindling. My first thought would be to replace the lilies with some other plant that deer don't like. I briefly looked at those electronic sound emitting devices that are supposed to scare the deer. There are mixed reviews on them, mostly poor.
So I am asking for your thoughts. What am I not seeing that could possibly be a solution. The township has, in recent years, set up deer hunting schedules which were promptly protested by residents. I'm on the fence with that idea. I can understand the residents fears but what they are not thinking about is the number of deer hit by cars and the danger that can come from such encounters.
We have a pond that I built very close to the patio. There are lilies and arrow plants doing quite nicely I must say. Well, not entirely. As soon as the lilies look good, they are eaten by the deer. The arrow plants must not taste good 'cause they don't get touched. SWMBO's Hostas are one of their favorites along with day lilies. Neither barely gets a chance to bloom before they're eaten.
In the past I have tried dried blood, soap, balloons and even one of those water squirting mechanical birds, which just gives them and the Blue Heron a bath that they enjoy.....
The dried blood works until it rains. The soap and balloons were a joke. I have bird netting over part of the pond to keep the Blue Heron from devouring my fish. The section where the lilies are was tromped on by the deer trying top get to the lilies below. So I had some green wire turkey fencing that I placed over the pond a few days ago. It is held up about a foot above the water rather rigidly with cable on one side and fence staples into the gazebo on the other.
Last night the deer actually forced their way under the fencing bending it and totally moving out of their way my Pola water mill. I am at my wits end. My options are dwindling. My first thought would be to replace the lilies with some other plant that deer don't like. I briefly looked at those electronic sound emitting devices that are supposed to scare the deer. There are mixed reviews on them, mostly poor.
So I am asking for your thoughts. What am I not seeing that could possibly be a solution. The township has, in recent years, set up deer hunting schedules which were promptly protested by residents. I'm on the fence with that idea. I can understand the residents fears but what they are not thinking about is the number of deer hit by cars and the danger that can come from such encounters.
