Help! The deer are eating my hosta. I love wildlife but I also love my hosta. What can be done.?

Question

I have tried Milorganite, placing different objects around the plants, but nothing works so far. I have heard about a motion detector that has a sprayer and when they come around it comes on and sprays water at them but I can't seem to find it and I do not know the name of this item, they say it works. Does anyone know anything about it or have any ideas to save what is left of my hosta? She has managed to eat 30 plants so far.

Answer 1

If you want to try another non-harmful method before moving on to something more drastic, you can try using a spray bottle with dish soap and water on the plants.

The following two websites have a lot of useful info including the device you are talking about:

http://www.coalitionforanimals.org/pdf/barriers.pdf
http://www.northerngardening.com/deer.htm

Answer 2

The only guaranteed way to keep deer out is a fence about 10 feet tall. In my neighborhood, we've seen herds of over 20 deer moving through from the river across the street and between the houses to the field behind us. I can see them in my back yard routinely, if I look for them. Nothing stops them except a big fence.

Answer 3

tie strings on stakes arond the plant add some cans on the string so they bump togheter and make noise, also tie small rags so they blow in the windand show some type of move ment. or set up a moitonn detecter to come on when the deer come by but make sure to add a horn/ buzzer " does not have to be 2 loud " cause the deer will get used to the light

Answer 4

Spray them with a mixture of one part milk mixed with two parts water. Spray early in the morning to avoid leaf burn. Non-toxic to everything and deer hate the smell of milk. Use as often as you need to.

Answer 5

Use Liquid Fence - it works! You can buy it at some hardware stores or garden stores/greenhouses.

Downside is that it smells terrible - DO NOT BE DOWNWIND WHEN SPRAYING! I made that mistake the first time I used it

Answer 6

buy some fox urine or coyote urine from a garden supply

and, regarding your motion activated sprinkler.

My father in law had one of those. They worked for a week or so, but then the deer became accustomed to it and began dining on his garden again.

Answer 7

It sounds gross, but we had pretty decent success with human urine. It helps if you live someplace remote, with little chance of anybody happening by, of course, but you can do nearly as well with a college student over 21, who loves his beer and stays up until 4:00 a.m. anyway...

Answer 8

fences