Deer deterrents?

[Serenity]

My new neighbor was telling me the oher day that we'll get a lot of deer from the forest across the road as the weather warms up. He said that you can wake up to 8 or 9 in your yard on an early morning!

I'd like to see them but don't want to lose all my plants to them either. A few I don't mind but I'd hate to find my garden bare one morning. Any suggestions for deterrents to keep them away from my veg and flowerbeds? Nothing that would hurt them, just that would put them off a bit.

[tater03]

One thing you can do is to avoid planting tulips. I was told that deer like the taste of tulips.

[SageMother]

You can make a fountain with a bamboo tipper. Each time the bamboo tips, it makes a clicking sound that frightens deer away.

It is called the "Deer Scarer" or "shishi odoshi"

[tater03]

I have never seen those before. Thanks for sharing that product. I will have to pass this along to my mother in law who has problems with deer on her property.

[SageMother]

I have always wondered if the deer eventually figure out that the clicking sound of the fountain, will cause them no harm!

[tater03]

You know they might but deer are pretty skittish creatures as it is so maybe it would always make them take off?

[mtrent]

Bamboo really works. I have also seen mesh laid across it.

[fireflies]

Bamboo really works. I have also seen mesh laid across it.

Bamboo is really great. I haven't had any issues with deer in my neighborhood since I got some.

[Charm Dreier]

I have a few ideas that no one mentioned yet in the previous posts. Motion-activated sprinkler-- starts and sprays water on them as they come near the radar. Very effective at startling them into bolting out of your garden. The other idea is deer spray. Some brands are "Liquid Fence", "Deer Off", & "Not Tonight, Deer" (which has a very funny illustration of two beer in bed on the front of the bottle). They are natural but totally nasty!!!! They are made with putrified egg solids and capsicum peppers, and usually also garlic. They stink to high heaven when you are applying them. Don't apply them in a wind since it will spray back on you and you will want to puke at how bad you smell. I think the first few days, the deer (and other munching creatures, such as rabbits) are repelled by the horrible stink, but after the stink receeds after a couple of days, they might take a bite only to realize that the plant now tastes horrible! It really works. It lasts until it rains or gets sprayed off by irrigation sprayers or the plant grows out. I generally spray some of my clients gardens once a month with the stuff.