The deer are holding my hostas for hostage! What do you do to get rid of them? So far I'm trying Plantskydd and milorganite. They are working but I'd like to advice from those with more experience, please.

I use Plantskydd and Deer Fortress, but I also use a nifty little gadget called Wireless Deer Fence. http://wirelessdeerfence.com/ I know people that swear by Milorganite. I have some, I just haven't used it yet. Good luck.

Leslie,. this is terrible! Did they eat any of your Hosta? I live in City so I have no deer, just a rabbit that drives me nut's, I really do think the Millorganite helped. I don't swear by it though.

I have the hosta on a raised deck until I get the deer problem solved. We live on a lake in a woody area. Last year they ate all of my hostas and several hundred daylily buds in ONE night. It wrecked the whole season.

Ok, obviously they have an established trail through your gardens. If you can interrupt that trail by making it inhospitable for them they will find an easier route. Usually it's better to interrupt those trails in the early spring before they get firmly established. However, that doesn't mean that you can't put a damper on things till next spring. Have they been eating your stuff this year so far? You said you've been spraying with Plantskydd and using Milorganite, is that working for you? If a deer is seriously hungry they will brave most anything for something to eat. Deer are opportunistic creatures of habit. Make it unattractive for them and that will help your situation.

Oh wow! I do hate it when something makes a happy meal of any of my plants! I hope you find a workable solution.

They haven't eaten anything this year tho I have seem them in the woods next to the house and in the driveway. It seems to be working. Thanks for your imput.

Unless you put up a 10 foot fence all the way around your property they are still going to wander through. The key is to keep the moving, and not having them stop for a snack. I have deer that wander through my property a lot, but for the most part, they avoid the areas I have put off limits to them. Sounds like your plan is working, don't let them freak you out so you don't enjoy your gardens.

Nothing could do that.

And you could get a bb gun or a paint gun. With the latter you'll know if it's the same deer each time. LOL

I know, right?

ooooooooooo. I like that "i-deer".

ooooooooooo Deer!!

They ate every hosta in my yard and every Daylily. They even ate the Daffs the first year I moved in.

The property was empty for a few years so it had become their restaurant. I live on 4 acres but not isolated. This is a suburban neighborhood but all the house have large lots.

The property does have a 8' fence but that means nothing to them. I have seen them jump that. I have been using many things that seem to be working for the last year. I have been working on this for 3 years.

I purchased...
Wolf urine that I put in a spray bottle and Spray that ocassionally on grocery store plastic bags and hung them on the fence where I see they may have been by the poop evidence.

I put some of the Sweeney's Deer Repellent gadgets. They are covered containers that you put on a stem. That is suppose to trigger flight response to the deer. I suspect it is a wolf urine concoction. Home Depot purchase.

Homemade spray. Onion, Garlic, hot sauce, wolf urine, egg, mixture.

Biondi Deer off work for my deer. I tried every one on the market. Every area deer are different. I do think you have to try them all to see which one your deer do not like.

Nite Guard system. It is a flashing red solar light to fool the deer that they think danger. Of course near that area I spray the wolf urine. So it is a site and smell fix I am using.

I have herds of deer not an occasional walk through deer problem. When I see deer it is 10 or more. I have had as much as 20 deer in the front yard at one time.

I have also sprinkle Millorganite 3 times a year.

Finally, there path I have picked up pallets from the grocery store for free. They have trouble walking on these because their feet go through the slat space and fall down.

As you can see I have done everything short of a gun. So far I for one growing season only one hosta has been eaten I have 100s. So I am not sure if that was deer, rabbit, groundhog, etc. since it was only one hosta.

I'd say you're doing pretty good!

Sounds like you have a full time job just protecting your plants. What a nightmare!

Good luck! You sure are working hard at it.

I could not believe the damage I was getting. Can you imagine finding your dream home with 4 acres and find out that you have to fight every animal known to mankind to have one single plant. My heart was broken.

I unearthed all the plants I had at my old house before I put it up for sale and dreamed of all the new gardens I could plant without limits.


I sat down and cried then I got up with a plan to fight back. I left them an acre to eat and that is as much as they are going to get without a fight.

I only moved 15 minutes from my old house but what a difference of critters coming to eat your plants. I think they have passed a menu around to all their friends the name on that menu is 4 star restaurant up the street.

I would definitely be sick, but it gives us all something to think about when we wish for more land. LOL

4 Star restaurant!

I'm having very good luck with the Plantskydd. Spraying once a month and no problems even though I do overhead watering everyday.