Ninety-eight percent of the Town of Darien, where Friends of Animals is headquartered, is developed, so it is incumbent upon residents to be good neighbors to the wildlife we share our neighborhoods with, such as white-tailed deer. That goes for people who share their neighborhoods with deer across the U.S.

Deer are often misunderstood and maligned for liking the same things humans do—flowers, ornamental bushes and gardens! Rest assured, there are nonlethal, proven ways to protect yards from deer throughout the year. 

Right now, they’re drawn to their favorite cold-weather meal: broadleaved and needle-leaved evergreens such as rhododendrons and azaleas. During the summer growing season, they might visit your hostas, hydrangea and veggie gardens. If fencing is not an option, a good repellent spray regimen will work wonders. Our local garden center recommends Bobbex and Liquid Fence, both available on Amazo. During fall/winter, you’ll only be spraying every four to eight weeks. (Spraying every 10 to 14 days is recommended in the summer) . So two or three applications can get your plants through the entire winter!  Anything more than five or six feet above the ground will be out of their reach and will not need to be sprayed.

Deer mean no harm. They do not carry or transmit Lyme disease. Not to mention, studies show hunting them exacerbates their movement during mating season—October, November and December—which can result in more car collisions.   So, let’s appreciate and safeguard them, for their safety and ours.