How to Keep Deer From Eating Blueberry Plants
Your blueberry plants offer much to local deer. Not only are they delicious, they’re much higher in nutrition than most native fare. The only surefire way to keep hungry deer from beating you to your berries is to erect a solidly constructed wire mesh fence at least 8 feet tall. If this isn’t possible, try some other tactics that have proven effective.
Treat your blueberries with deer repellent to make them distasteful to the animals. Combine 1 quart of water with 4 eggs, 2 oz. finely chopped garlic and 2 oz. Tabasco sauce. Puree and strain through a coffee filter to remove the solids. Pour the liquid into a garden sprayer and apply to the plants. Repeat once weekly and immediately following rainfall.
- Your blueberry plants offer much to local deer.
- Puree and strain through a coffee filter to remove the solids.
Use a commercial deer repellent recommended for blueberry plants. Follow the packaging instructions carefully.
Create an offensive odor in and around the blueberry patch. Cut old pantyhose off at the knees. Fill the feet with various stinky stuff and tie the little sachets to the plants. Filler materials include unwashed human hair, powdered cayenne pepper, garlic powder, strong deodorant bar soaps, rotten eggs and predator urine.
Scare the deer away from your blueberry bushes with threatening presences. These tactics work well for short lengths of time. Place scarecrows in the patch. Hang shiny, light-weight objects such as disposable pie plates and strips of aluminum from plants. Relocate the objects daily so that deer don’t become accustomed to harmless inanimate items. Flip on the outdoor lighting at various times.
- Use a commercial deer repellent recommended for blueberry plants.
- Scare the deer away from your blueberry bushes with threatening presences.
Create a noisy atmosphere to frighten deer away. Crank up the radio. Run outside when you see them, and they’ll scatter. Let the kids camp out in the area. Send your dog out every time the deer show up. Even the gentlest pooch is territorial and will raise a big fuss at the intruders. Deer will seek more peaceful dining arrangements when a dog or other noisy distractions regularly patrol an area.
- Create a noisy atmosphere to frighten deer away.
- Send your dog out every time the deer show up.
Use motion-activated technology such as water sprinklers and outdoor lighting. Set the timers for various times throughout the day and night to keep the deer guessing about these strange and frightening stimuli.
Cover the blueberry plants with netting or mesh. Encircle plants completely, but avoid touching the leaves with it. This may be the single most effective action you can take to preserve the plants.
Protect the blueberry patch with fencing at least 8 feet high. Install it so that the bottom is in contact with or close to the ground. Deer would rather crawl under a barrier than jump over it.
- Use motion-activated technology such as water sprinklers and outdoor lighting.
- Protect the blueberry patch with fencing at least 8 feet high.
Tip
Repellents may be highly effective during certain times of the year. But if deer are desperate, they’ll eat the treated plants rather than starving to death.
Deer repellents, predator urines, netting and mesh materials can be purchased from garden supply centers.
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References
Tips
- Repellents may be highly effective during certain times of the year. But if deer are desperate, they'll eat the treated plants rather than starving to death.
- Deer repellents, predator urines, netting and mesh materials can be purchased from garden supply centers.
Writer Bio
A full-time writer since 2007, Axl J. Amistaadt is a DMS 2013 Outstanding Contributor Award recipient. He publishes online articles with major focus on pets, wildlife, gardening and fitness. He also covers parenting, juvenile science experiments, cooking and alternative/home remedies. Amistaadt has written book reviews for Work At Home Truth.
