Are deer eating your plants?  Here are some ideas on how to prevent deer from eating your plants.

First, DON"T FEED THE DEER!  Deer are wild animals and their first priority is food.  Salt blocks, mineral blocks, piles of corn or hay are all food sources.  Once deer have found food, they will return to the area hunting for food, eating any nearby plants they find attractive.  As Ben Franklin stated, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

If deer are already in a pattern of feeding in your area, do your best to scare them whenever they are in your area.  Loud noises, motion-sensitive floodlights (deer are nocturnal animals) and motion-sensitive water sprayers are methods used to scare deer.

Besides removing the deer, you can use plants that deer don't like or protect your plants from the deer.  Most greenhouses have a list of plants that are deer-resistant; here is another list to get you started.    You can also fence plants, cover plants with netting, or spray animal scents such as coyote urine on your plants.

Remember that although deer are fun to watch, they can be destructive to trees and plants.  Even if you like to watch the deer and your plants are unattractive to the deer, be considerate of your neighbors and don't feed the deer.

For more information, see the Deer Fact Sheet from Cornell University and search the Internet for Deer Pest Control.