Deer

Deer, especially roe deer, are large, heavy mammals. They usually live in woodland, but will make forays into gardens looking for food. Luckily, usually only one or two visit at any one time. They tend to do most of their visiting and feeding between dusk and dawn.

The most common garden-visiting deer are roe deer and muntjac.

Roe deer can feed on plants from ground level, where they graze, up to a height of about 1.4m (4½ft). The muntjac is much smaller, and grazes plants up to a height of around 90cm (3ft). Both deer are becoming more widespread in the wild and, especially where large numbers mean a shortage of food, in gardens too.

• Trees
• Shrubs
• Flowers
• Vegetables
• Lawns

Deer, even the smaller muntjac, are large animals and can cause severe damage to a wide range of plants. This includes trampling and eating small, low-growing and ground cover plants.

They will eat, or nibble at, just about any plant material available, including trees, shrubs, fruit and vegetables. Because of their large appetites, they need a lot of food and will strip plants bare of leaves, stems and flowers. They will also graze and puddle grass on the lawn.

They can also severely damage or even kill trees and shrubs by stripping away their bark. This tends to be more of a problem in winter, when other food sources are scarce. Or they can cause damage by rubbing up against them – called fraying, when male deer rub their heads against the trunks to remove the velvet from new antlers, or when they are scent-marking their territories.

They will push over and break or damage statues and just about any other free-standing structures.

In many circumstances, you may simply have to tolerate deer visiting the garden.

Some plants are less desirable than others, but even the young growth of these can be damaged, especially when other food sources aren’t available.

Although not always effective, ultrasonic devices may deter them, but the deer tend to get used to the noise and soon ignore them. A radio left on all night, at levels that don’t offend neighbours, may also be successful.

Motion-activated water sprayers, which are connected to a hosepipe, may also be effective. They send out a burst of water accompanied by a hissing noise when activated by an animal walking past.

It is possible to cover particularly susceptible plants individually with wire-mesh netting to prevent deer getting at them.

Fruit and vegetables can be protected in a wire mesh fruit cage.

The bark of the main trunk of trees and shrubs can be protected with tree protectors or individual caging. This will need to be a minimum of 1.2m (4ft) high.

You are allowed to control deer by shooting them, as long as this is done in a humane manner. However, shooting is rarely feasible in gardens for safety and legal reasons.

Scented and smelly animal repellents may discourage deer, but need very regular applications. If they do work, they generally only provide short-term protection, as the deer may get used to them.

Spraying plants with deterrents that contain aluminium ammonium sulphate makes them bitter tasting, so reducing damage. These have to be applied regularly, especially in wet weather.

Marking boundaries with human male urine may work to prevent deer entering the garden, as may hanging bags made from muslin or old nylon tights filled with human hair in places where deer feed or get into the garden.

Deer can only be discouraged or prevented from entering gardens with solid, effective fencing, walls and locked gates. Sturdy, deer-proof wire-mesh fences need to be 1.5m (5ft) tall for muntjac and 1.8m (6ft) for other deer. The bottom of the fence will need to be secured in the ground to prevent the deer from lifting it up and getting in underneath.

A battery-operated electric fence may be a more effective method of preventing them getting in.