I live in a community outside of town and the deer have become a major problem for everyone here. They no longer fear humans, and feast constantly on our shrubs and flowers. Last summer they came so often my mature hydrangeas were on the way out because without leaves they can't survive. I know this problem is everywhere. Has anyone had experience with the "STI ED-50 Rex Plus Electronic Watchdog barking dog alarm? It got good reviews on Amazon.com. We don't want to get a real dog at this time, and electric fences are not practical in our wooded area.
thanks.
barking dog motion sensor to repel deer
We have two real dogs, one sixty five pounds and one eighty five pounds. The deer could care less. Once the deer started ignoring the dogs the dogs started ignoring the deer. Now they co-habitate on their respective sides of the fence within dozens of feet of each other. The only thing the dogs do is keep the deer from going over the fence. That's because they mark and patrol the perimeter while we are there. I'm not sure just barking would do it.
thanks Maypop. After sending that question, I found out the barking dog alarm is used inside, not outside. Sorry to waste your time. However, I'm shocked that your dogs no longer bark at the deer. I thought I might resort to a dog or two, but maybe that would be a wasted effort also.
Has Liquid Fence been helpful to you? It's the only spray people seem to find effective sometimes.
thanks
No, I started with the liquid fence and found it was only partially reliable. The trouble is the day it doesn't work because of heavy rains and you haven't had a chance to respray, you have just lost your entire garden. They're not only opportunistic, they're fast. I've had them mow the roses, gardenias, bulbs and all the veggies in an afternoon. They've even walked through a narrow gateway onto the deck and eaten the flowers out of the windowboxes!
Where are the wolves when you need them!
Helen
LOL. I've got a neighbor that loves to hunt on my property when I'm not around. When I suggested he give me one for his two he became scarce. Where is a generous poacher when you need them?
Laurel I'd love to take that deal. I'd even give you the first one.
I'm more than a little interested. DM me if you're serious. As lovely as they are they are incredibly destructive. Far more tasty though.
Just a note here...we had botanists visit the property from the Atlanta Botanical Garden last summer. A discussion ensued about the impact on native and endangered plant life from over-populated deer. We were complaining about the loss of many plant species over twenty years, including wild orchids. They pointed to the probably cause...unchecked deer populations.
As I said we are missing the wolves. They were part of the balance in days gone by. Though I don't think I would really want wolves roaming around neighborhoods with kids. But we do need to kill more deer for sure. And I have heard how they have devastated many ecosystems. There are more deer in North American now than there were when Columbus landed on our shores. Its the same with coyotes. More now than then.
But what to do about it?
Helen
Maybe some coyote recipes too? We have problems with those in our Atlanta neighborhood.They are putting a dent in the feline population and attacked a number of neighborhood dogs behind "invisible fence" settings.
Odd as it seems I can remember a time when deer hunting wasn't allowed in some of the neighboring counties, Jackson especially, deer had been hunted almost to the point of being non existant .I think Jackson didn't open their season until the mid seventies. I use a combination of motion sensor and a radio I just change the station every few days to throw them off, they really HATE rap.
From the viewpoint of Darwinian science a species usually proliferates before it becomes extinct. Deer populations are pressed into ever smaller ranges with development but they also have the advantage of losing some of their natural predators and initially have better foraging opportunities. Then they become scarce because the increased population starves, they get run over by cars or hunted.
I've had really good luck with milorganite (sp?), a very mild fertilizer that I spread around EVERYWHERE, that deer supposedly don't like the smell of, planting garlic with my tender stuff (daylilies) and spraying Deer Stopper. It stopped them from eating my camellias. And, I can see evidence of them coming into the lot next to me (footprints, etc), but they don't seem to be coming into mine. We also have dogs, that we walk around the yard and allow them to pee along the edge of the yard. Good luck. I know that the deer here are vicious in their eating habits.