|
 Stop
Deer In Their Tracks!
Preserve Your
Summer Garden Splendor
Shade trees among
summer gardens provide great respite and
retreats from the summer sun. Dahlias spread
color. Day lilies glow. Hostas rise. Fruit trees
sparkle. Vegetables promise favored treats. Deer
destroy.
Deer destroy? Yes,
deer destroy!
 Summertime
splendor rushes through gardens and landscapes
nationwide as the rains of spring gives way to
high summer skies and the promise of restful
weekends. All across North America homeowners,
landscapers and farmers enjoy summer gardens
overflowing in colors, textures and produce close
to their gardener's heart. But all too often their
passions are quickly dashed as the deer's
seemingly insatiable appetite perennially destroy
these and many other valuable plants, shrubs and
trees. The promise of blooms aplenty and a fall
harvest of succulent treats will be dashed by
foraging deer unless you take action now!
It matters little
where you live. Deer are plentiful across
North America, and summertime promises additions
to local deer herds as the fawning period is
engaged and whitetails, blacktails and mule deer
give birth to what can be triplets!
 Few
homeowners are immune to the
damaging effects of
browsing deer. Regionally divided by their natural
range, the three species of deer in North America
roam at will across city parks, suburban
neighborhoods and rural communities where they
have no fear! Natural predators are few, and
hunting seasons are months away! In most cases,
suburban homeowners are no threat to deer. Park
officers on patrol by car or horseback pose no
danger. Deer often won't run unless chased! They
learn the limits of controlled dogs, and they even
learn the noises associated with those who feed
deer. Preventing damage by foraging deer is easier
than breaking the pattern of deer foraging after
it starts.
Woodland mast crops
that deer favor are still growing in summer.
Favored natural foods, such as acorns, sumac peas,
beechnuts and locust pods won't ripen and fall to
the ground until September and later. Wild berries
won't sweeten until mid-summer. Savory shoots and
soft grasses mature and deer will often turn their
nose -- and mouths -- away. And why not? Many of
the plants available at your local nursery are
very enjoyable by the deer for dinner! And you can
bet the young of the year in your local deer herd
will learn quickly from their elders that the
taste treats in your gardens and landscapes are
theirs for the taking!
Check out this deer
smorgasbord menu of trees and shrubs:
Azaleas, Arborvitae,
Apple trees,
Eastern White Pine,
False Cedars,
Fir, Clematis,
Cornelian Dogwood,
Crab apple, Eastern
Redbud,
English Ivy, Euonymus,
European
Mountain Ash,
Fruit-Bearing
Peach, Pear and Plum
Trees,
Hybrid Tea Roses,
Korean Lilac, Mugo Pine,
Norway Maple, Rhododendron,
Umbrella Pine,
Vinca, Vine Maple, Yew
And don't forget
the desert of flowers and garden plants:
Anemone, Beans,
Blackberries, Broccoli,
Cauliflower, Daylilies, Geum, Hostas, Lettuce,
Peas, Raspberries, Strawberries,
Sweet Corn, Trillium, Tulips, Violets
Whew! What a carte du
jour! If your heart is really set on one of these
plants, then you should strongly consider using
deer repellents - earlier than later. Once deer
adapt to your garden, one deer expert says, they
adopt it.
Perhaps no deer
barrier is more effective than a fence. But deer
can easily clear fences as high as 6 feet. That's
an expensive fence, no matter the material it's
made of, and the length of the barrier compounds
the cost of building that fence. Imagine building
a fence 6 feet high to encompass a yard 2 acres or
more in size! But don't be hoodwinked into buying
mechanical devices. Remember the dog noted above?
Don't get duped by spray-on taste teasers. The
only thing deer have to fear is fear itself! (Who
said that?)
Deer Scram is your
best deer repellent because it attacks a
deer's sense of safety. Blended from selected
all-natural organic components, Deer Scram will keep deer off
your plantings because, through their uncanny
sense of smell, Deer Scram convinces deer that
harm is nearby. Deer Scram will change deer
behavior. As they near the applied barrier of Deer
Scram, deer actually alert to a sense of danger -
even death! Its unique blend of organic
ingredients targets a deer's remarkable sense of
smell. As the scent of death reaches the deer, a
genetic biological defense mechanism to flee from
predators is triggered. Watch deer flee from the
area or avoid it completely! The association of
the fear of death with Deer Scram will lead to a
profound learning experience for the deer and,
with proper re-application of Deer Scram, the deer
will not return to the area.
So, how do you begin a
summer-season plan to protect your valuable
flowers, shrubs, and trees from foraging deer?
Initiate your plan now, before your yard and
garden beauties are ravaged by browsing deer using
the strength of a deterrent program that stops
deer from entering your flowerbeds, gardens and
even your yard!
 1.
Learn where deer eat. Deer prefer to feed in
open areas near cover. Clear-cuts, parks and
suburban neighborhoods are the perfect habitat,
where rich mixtures of vegetation produce abundant
food and cover. They're easily attracted to areas
of open lawns, succulent summer gardens and
plentiful ornamental shrubs where patches of
forest cover stand nearby. Deer opt for variety
over quantity, and they prefer a variety of tender
new shoots and lush foliage, which they find in
abundance during the warm months in landscaped
yards and gardens. The type of eater a deer is
depends on the deer's geographic location, changes
in climate and genetics, but deer will eat just
about any type of foliage. They prefer to eat
browse -- leaves, twigs and various shoots and
vines -- and "green types" of foliage. Deer
frequently feed on flowers, fruits and vegetables
and the buds and twigs of fruit trees and
ornamental shrubs.
2. Identify the
damage. Damage to landscape plantings and
ornamentals may occur at any time of year, but
it's most disheartening when established plants
are hearty and in full display. You can
distinguish the damage caused to plants by feeding
deer by the ragged, broken ends of branches of
plants and trees that have been browsed by deer,
which do not have incisor teeth. Rabbits and
rodents have incisors and leave clean-cut surfaces
where they have nibbled upon plants. The height
(up to 6 feet) the damage is found off the ground
is another indication that rules our small
mammals.
 3.
Assault their sense of security. While deer
are herd animals, bucks are rarely seen with does
except during the "rut" - the annual breeding
season, which generally occurs in the fall but
varies by geographical location and herd genetics.
Does, fawns and yearlings, however, are very
social, congregational, even predictable animals.
Fawns are dependent and learn from the does,
including how to use their remarkable sense of
smell for locating food and survival. As summer
sets in, does give birth to fawns and their noses
will lead them to return over and over again to
areas where food is tasty, abundant and safe to
forage. Their noses will also alert deer to nearby
danger. Disrupt their sense of security and you've
achieved the primary factor for turning deer away
from your valuable plants, gardens, shrubs and
trees. Deer have good memories and learn from each
other. When one deer is afraid to return to an
area, other deer -- including fawns -- also will
be reluctant to enter the area.
Deer Scram is an
all-natural, biodegradable deer repellent that
guarantees pesky white-tailed, black-tailed and
mule deer -- rabbits, too -- will stop feeding on
your prized gardens, shrubs and trees for
45 to 60 days per application. Deer Scram
is a fully organic granular deer-control product
that contains no harmful chemicals or toxins that
could hurt the animals, environment and, most
importantly, you or your family.
|
Tell a Friend
MAKERS
OF AMERICA'S FINEST™
