Hungry deer will feed on anything your garden may offer them in lack of an alternative. If you live in an area where wildlife is thriving, you might have to deal often with attacks on your yard. People living close to forests are more likely to know what it means to have wildlife ruining their gardens. Of course, seeing all your efforts to grow your precious plants vanish in one night might be depressing. Luckily, you can take measures to prevent wild animals from eating your plants and ruining all your flowers.
For instance, you can try adding plants that will repel animals. Many people use ferns to make deer stay away from their property. But do deer eat ferns? Is adding this plant just a myth, or will it do something to provide you some protection from future attacks? To find out the answers to your questions, keep reading this essential guide.
Do Deer Eat Ferns? The Ultimate Answer
Ferns are not among a deer’s favorite food. These animals prefer other plants with dense and chunky foliage. Adding ferns to your garden is a choice to prevent deer from eating your plants. However, you must know that it is hard to find a deer-safe plant. Depending on how hungry these animals get, they might eat anything that crosses their path. If that’s your ferns, you have been unlucky!
Harsh winters force deer to move from the forests and find nutritious food. However, research shows that different herds may rely on different dietary habits. In some neighborhoods, ferns might be the only option available. In others, deer prefer to stay away from these plants and will look for something better instead.
How To Deter Deer From Getting To Your Garden
The most effective way to keep deer away from your yard is to use repellents. Predator urine seems to work wonders. You can find it in some gardening stores. However, before purchasing a product, make sure it comes from reliable sources that treat the animals humanely. Alternatively, you can consider getting a guard dog. While dogs are not natural predators, their urine’s smell is strong enough to keep deers from entering your property. Plus, they will most likely bark if they see some wild animals approaching your garden. After all, these loyal companions are a human’s best friends.
You can also use something less complicated and create your repellent by using soap or deodorant bars. While not as effective, some people talk about how these methods successfully scared deer. Remember that you will have to frequently replace the soap bar to ensure its fragrance won’t fade. Consider poking a hole to create a more intense odor.
Nowadays, you can also use more modern devices to repel wild animals. If attacks from deer bother you, you can purchase ultrasonic devices to keep them at bay. If you live close to a forest, this device will scare away other wild animals. No more problems with skunks, mice, raccoons, and deer! While relatively simple to use, they might be expensive. However, they seem to be effective. The ultrasonic sound waves they produce scare wild animals away from your property. You can find solar-powered devices. With those, you won’t have to worry about charging them. All you need to do is install the device following the instructions and let it do the work for you. How nice does that sound?
Do Deer Eat Ferns?: The Bottom Line
Deer won’t eat ferns unless there are no better options close. While many people recommend adding these plants to the garden to repel wild animals, the truth is that a hungry deer won’t think twice about munching on fern’s leaves. Of course, they will prefer other plants without an alternative. However, if you live close to a forest or in an area with a high wildlife population, you may want to take precautions to avoid these cute animals destroying all of your efforts.
The best way to do so is to discourage them from getting to your property in the first place. Consider protecting your garden with a fence. Remember that deer can jump high! Also, put our tips into practice. While modern devices might be costly, their effectiveness will be worth the investment.
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