large garden pests

[MalcolmX]

i need some help about my bird feeders and deer
i have 6 feeders of normal size and one 4ft one but they are mobbed by rooks or jackdaws up to 10 or 12 at any one time .no other bird seems to go near the feeders i cannot see any way to protect these feeders ideas please

next problem i have a mother and 2 fawns in my field that do not enter my (cultivated) garden but a young buck that is hanging about has ravaged my veg plot ,ate the tops of of 60 roses ruined 90 sweet pea plants ate all the tops from my strawberries and devastated all my potted lilies as well as various small items although i am fenced all round he gets in by jumping over the fence
i do not want to cull this buck but i cannot see any alternative , any ideas please

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by MalcolmX

i need some help about my bird feeders and deer
i have 6 feeders of normal size and one 4ft one but they are mobbed by rooks or jackdaws up to 10 or 12 at any one time .no other bird seems to go near the feeders i cannot see any way to protect these feeders ideas please

next problem i have a mother and 2 fawns in my field that do not enter my (cultivated) garden but a young buck that is hanging about has ravaged my veg plot ,ate the tops of of 60 roses ruined 90 sweet pea plants ate all the tops from my strawberries and devastated all my potted lilies as well as various small items although i am fenced all round he gets in by jumping over the fence
i do not want to cull this buck but i cannot see any alternative , any ideas please

hmmm firstly, your jackdaw problem will pass, its been a particularly good year for them, but I don't think they hang around for very long - its probably a couple of family groups. I recommend that you enjoy them for their entertainment value, the other birds will return when they disperse a bit.

hmm deer can be a real problem, some swear by lion dung or peeing around the perimeter of your grounds but not sure how effective this is esp in time of heavy rain... Otherwise electric fencing or planting of plants deer don't like, I'm not sure removing the buck will help as its likely he will be replaced at some point in the near future if you are in an area of suitable habitat.

[dragonfly]

maybe i can help on our plots we use red matreal to scare off pigeons that eat our crops
we dont get botherd as for the deer have you thought of an electric fence its just enough to deter without causing harm

[Ann2]

I have the answer!

We'll swap gardens - I only have a handful of small birds on my feeders and my sweet peas are thriving. I'm not content with my lot though and would far sooner have deer in my garden than sweet peas!

Ann

[jennyb]

Originally Posted by MalcolmX

next problem i have a mother and 2 fawns in my field that do not enter my (cultivated) garden but a young buck that is hanging about has ravaged my veg plot ,ate the tops of of 60 roses ruined 90 sweet pea plants ate all the tops from my strawberries and devastated all my potted lilies as well as various small items although i am fenced all round he gets in by jumping over the fence
i do not want to cull this buck but i cannot see any alternative , any ideas please

I don't like to be the bearer of bad news but there is not a lot you can do about the deer.

I have a similar problem and have tried everything. I have decided that my only option is to plant things they do not eat (although if they are REALLY hungry they would eat those anyway )

There was a thread about this some time ago and someone provided a list of the plants that deer don't usually eat. Flowers that deer don't eat.

The only other thing is a fence that is so high they cannot jump it. I was unable to do that in my garden.

So, bottom line - plant things they don't usually eat and then try to convince yourself that you would rather have deer than all those lovely flowers

Good luck.

Jenny

PS. If you find a magic solution, please let me know!

[Kayleigh]

There is an estate near me, next to a wood they have what looks like a large deer proof high wire fence. I found a few ideas on google.

Benner's Deer Fence and Deer Fencing
Wireless Deer Fence-guaranteed deer control
Deer Fence that Really Keeps Out Deer
Deer Fence Deer Fencing Deer Repellents Deer Damage Control

[demicav]

It's not right to kill a deer just to keep it out of your garden, no matter how much you want to protect your flowers. Deer are wild animals and do not know your rules. Not sure where you would stand from a legal point of view in doing this, but sure someone on here would know. My opinion is to put up a higher fence and as already mentioned by Gill removing the deer from the situation is unlikely to help as it may well be quickly replaced by another.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by demicav

It's not right to kill a deer just to keep it out of your garden, no matter how much you want to protect your flowers. Deer are wild animals and do not know your rules. Not sure where you would stand from a legal point of view in doing this, but sure someone on here would know. My opinion is to put up a higher fence and as already mentioned by Gill removing the deer from the situation is unlikely to help as it may well be quickly replaced by another.

I'm fairly sure that it would be illegal to kill the deer in this situation - most species of deer fall into the game category and can be legally killed by landowners / agents at certain times of year - however it is esxtremly unlikely that gardenes count for this - that said if the neighbouring land is an estate then you can probably legally get their keeper to do the deed for you. if you do kill it eat it as well cos at least then it will have served a sensible purpose

however i'm with gill on this one kill one and another will be along shortly - as the others have said your options are limited to either a high fence or unpalatble plants ( a thicket of berberis arround the garden edge would also do the trick - but the you are unlikely to have room to make this wide enough to be effective)

[smartie]

I'm in the same position as jennyb - nothing we have tried keeps them out. But depending on the aspect of your garden, you may be able to avoid having to put in a higher fence by making the one you have got impossible for the deer to see through. They don't like jumping blind, so if they can't see what is on the other side they may be deterred. It worked for part of our garden, but they found other ways in.

I also net all my vegetables to stop the deer getting in - well nearly all: the flourishing courgettes have just been eaten to the ground while we were away on holiday.

[Deer Stalker]

Deer can be culled in confined areas such as gardens in urban/suburban areas but certain requirements have to be met by law.
As already been said, he maybe replaced by another buck as there is alot of movement within the population at the moment as the older bucks re-assert their bounderies getting ready for the rut & push the younger ones out.

have a look here for ideas for deer repellents & lists of plants they like & don't like.

The British Deer Society - Deer in your garden