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Topic: Pesky critters

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beaugoose avatar
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Subject: Pesky critters
Date Posted: 5/27/2018 7:39 AM ET
Member Since: 3/5/2011
Posts: 1,048
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Last year my garden was enjoyed by rabbits and deer.  I have a "deer chaser" , motion detertor light/radio.   And I have put fencing around certain things.  Does anyone have any ideas that work, to keep the critters out?

hardtack avatar
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Date Posted: 3/29/2019 8:03 PM ET
Member Since: 9/22/2010
Posts: 7,199
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I tried repellant, which I sprayed on, but had to do it more often than the label stated, as we have a lot of rain in Florida. Then I stumbled on a great deer repellant called Deer Free. It supposedly lasts for a season, but I've found it last longer than that. I can get it at either Home Depot or Lowes.

It consists entirely of dried blood. Come six to a package and each sealed container is about the size of an aersol paint can cap. The package also includes thin metal rods you unbend to mount the caps on.  Then you place them in the middle of your "deer salad," and the deer stay away from it.  I found one works well for about a 10 foot radius.  Cost is about $15.99.

I also joke, that because they are made from dried blood, you can make them at home.

Wildhog3 avatar
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Date Posted: 9/9/2019 5:31 PM ET
Member Since: 4/4/2009
Posts: 10,082
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After losing my entire apple crop as awll as 4 long rows of cowpeas for two years now, I just may have stumbled on something that keeps them away. (I have tried the dried blood stuff. Not cheap. Did not deter the deer from eating my peas in the slightest. I spent 125$ on two motion sensitive, solar powered lights that have much less distance than advertised. My sister, always full of useless ideas told me of one she heard. Construct a "fence" around whatever you want to protect. Use steel posts, put the fence just a couple of feet away from, in my case, a Gala apple tree that has at least 4 bushels on it I think I can pick in 2 weeks. Stretch two strands of fine fishing line (I am using 8 lb test) around the tree. One about two feet off the ground, the second 4 feet. Each strand needs to not surround the whole tree with one continuous line because it breads very easy and you want to be repairing it 8-10 feet at a time. The idea is that the deer will brush the line but can't see it and is alarmed and retreat. I enhanced mine with numerous 2 foot long ribbons of shiny material. I hope this motion will aid in keeping Bambi away. I have had the fence up about a month and though deer have seen in the area, no apples have been lost so far. Deer are clever, devious, and evil; so I am not yet totaly optimistic, but getting very hopeful.