Deer Pests in a Vegetable Garden

Planting a vegetable garden in deer country means you likely will need to stop the animals from munching on your plants, no matter how beautiful they seem. You may need to try several methods to keep these persistent and crafty creatures away.

Garden Damage

• Ragged damage on plants, especially with deer tracks nearby, signals that the animals have found your vegetable plot. Deer shred plants as they tear away portions because they have no upper front teeth, notes the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

Deer Habits

• Deer choose their food mainly on availability, so the season matters. When little of their regular food becomes available, they seek out plants they otherwise would not try, putting your vegetable garden on their menu, according to the University of Colorado Cooperative Extension Service.

Deter the Deer

• To keep deer out, try noise from a radio or a barking dog, commercially available sprays to make plants taste or smell bad to the deer, or fencing at least 8 feet high, the Colorado Extension service suggests. For more assurance, try an electric fence, perhaps baiting it with foil flags rubbed with peanut butter so the deer learn to stay out after getting a shock, the Alabama Extension suggests.