Deer might be nice to look at from your window, but they can destroy your garden. Besides that, another question homeowners have about these animals in their yards is, “Do deer carry ticks?”
Yes. These animals can bring ticks into your yard that latch onto your children or pets.
You should always check your kids and pets for ticks and take other preventative measures to keep them off people and animals.
Whether you’re concerned about Lyme Disease or damage to your crops — two reasons to keep deer away from your outdoor space — you should invest in humane deer prevention.
If you’re in Sussex County, NJ, or Warwick, NY, you can reach out to
a professional pest removal service, offering assistance with wildlife removal and prevention. But you can also try some DIY tips and tricks at home to keep these animals from destroying your garden and bringing ticks onto your property.
Is It Deer?
It’s important to know if it’s deer in your yard and garden or something else. You’ll notice deer eating in the middle of the night, at dusk, or early in the morning. This means you may never see them in your garden. However, look for hoof prints, deep droppings (they look like piles of small, round, pebbles), trampled plants, and ripped leaves from eating.
Once you’ve established that it’s deer in your garden, you need to come up with a humane plan to keep them out.
How to Keep Deer Out of Your Garden
How to keep the deer out of your garden starts with physical barriers. This means a fence for your garden or some type of cover to prevent them from entering. You could use chicken wire, plastic netting, or floating row covers.
These are places over plants and prevent deer from eating them. They’re ideal for smaller plantings.
Avoid electric fences, as they can be inhumane. They can be extremely dangerous for children and pets.
Deer in your garden can also be prevented with scare tactics. They are adaptable, however, but you can try to deter them. There are some motion-triggered devices you can purchase that may scare them away, keeping them from eating your garden.
Something else you can consider is predator urine. This small may stop them from coming into your garden, but you’ll have to apply it weekly, especially if it rains a lot.
Repellents, such as scent, can work to prevent deer in the garden, but some are inhumane and can hurt deer, and other animals. One of these DIY repellents is capsaicin.
This is from our recent article about
keeping skunks off your property:
“Although some websites suggest using capsaicin — this is red pepper or chili pepper — you should avoid using it for several reasons.
For one, it’s extremely inhumane. When animals are exposed to capsaicin, it can cause temporary blindness, coughing, and even stop their vocal cords from working.
Additionally, if capsaicin or something similar gets in their eyes, animals may try and scratch it out, causing permanent eye injury or blindness.
Capsaicin is also toxic to
beneficial insects, including bees and other bugs.”
This means skip the capsaicin or hot pepper flakes.
Instead, plant oregano, sage, mint, or thyme in your garden to help ward off deer. Just be mindful of what variety of these plants you grow, as some may be toxic to pets or cause stomach upset.
Professional Pest Prevention
If you’re wondering how to keep deer out of your garden, try some of the humane tips and tricks listed here. If you still find that various pests and wildlife are invading your yard, garden, or home, you may need to contact a professional pest control technician.
Serene Property Services offers a variety of pest control options in Susses County, NJ, and Warwick, NY.
Contact us today for humane pest control.
