Monday, January 18, 2010

How to keep deer and rabbit from eating my shrubs?

Need suggestions - there are too many things out there but would like to hear from people who've had success in keeping deer and rabbit off blueberries and other bushes. I've seen products like powder you can sprinkle, sprays, etc. I'm really looking for something that's not expensive, and not harmful to kids, pets, and ok for use on fruit and vegetables. Thank you!How to keep deer and rabbit from eating my shrubs?
Nothing besides a fence will keep them out...Honestly.


I work in gardens with rabbit and deer problems and the only sure fire way is a fence, a high fence. Properly bent over and dug in at the bottom.


To DETER them there are a few things you an try. Chilli pepper spray, garlic drenches, sunflower hedges (bush sunflowers) hair...human, dog or cat hair in small cloth bags. Scatter these among your flower and vegetable beds. Try growing lavender and catnip around prized plants and plant marigolds.


One thing I have found doesn't work is onions (alliums). Garlic has an effect but I tried growing ornamental alliums in a garden and they ate the tops off of all the leaves!How to keep deer and rabbit from eating my shrubs?
Here are some great posts that will answer your question:


http://naturehills.com/gardening/forums/鈥?/a>


http://naturehills.com/gardening/blogs/c鈥?/a>


http://naturehills.com/gardening/blogs/g鈥?/a>


http://naturehills.com/gardening/forums/鈥?/a>


http://naturehills.com/gardening/blogs/h鈥?/a>
to keep the deer away from our garden in our old house, I used to walk the dog around it daily and let him pee on various posts I had set in the ground. It worked very well and after a few years, I didn't have to do it anymore. Didn't work with rabbits tho.
Scatter mothballs around the shrubs. Worked great for our nuisance animals as well as keeps the dog out of the flowers.





Other things I have heard that work are:


鈥?fox urine (predator animal)


鈥?dryer sheets


鈥?baby powder


鈥?human hair
to keep deer out of my garden i hung a hankie on a stick using wire. set the stick at an angle so the hankie is dangling down. the hankie will move in the wind and scare the deer.
I've heard of people scattering used cat litter around the plants. The deer can't tell the difference between cat scat and bobcat scat.
Human hair works. Just go your hair dresser and ask for the clippings.

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