Oh Deer! - Get to Know Your Neighbor Presenter: Les Rucker
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College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Our Vision: A healthier world through environmental stewardship. Our Mission: To support the University of Maryland Extension mission by educating residents about safe, effective & sustainable horticultural practices that build healthy gardens, landscapes, & communities.
Credits Prepared by Leslie Rucker and Merikay Smith, both Montgomery County Master Gardeners Special thanks to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and other credited organizations for the use of their photographs . . . To the best of our knowledge, all other photos used are either taken by the developers of this presentation or are in the public domain No animals were in any way harmed during the preparation of this presentation
Six Topics: 1. So what’s the big deal? 2. About Deer 3. Plant selection 4. Repellents and scare tactics 5. Fencing 6. Developing a strategic plan
What’s the Big Deal? Deer population explosion Natural deer predators Bobcats Coyotes Bear Mountain lions Wolves Cougars American alligators Photo: US Fish & Wildlife Services
IMPACT ON NATIVE VEGETATION Understory density has been reduced Black Hills Regional Park A forest without an understory is a dying forest Birds and other wildlife have fewer places to nest, reproduce, feed, and shelter
Maryland Farmers Estimate $7.7 Million (2008) Deer Related Crop Losses ~$2.4 Million in North Central MD (USDA) Deer do 80% of all wildlife damage to crops
What’s the Big Deal? Insurance Information Institute: Estimated $9.9 billion property damage & medical costs in FY 2013 Estimated 1.23 million deer ‐ vehicle collisions in U.S. (FY 2012) Average claim $3,305 (FY 2012) Over 200 people killed annually
~2,019 deer collisions reported in Montgomery County in 2012 Montgomery County Police Department
Maryland is a “high ‐ risk” state with an estimated 34,000 deer ‐ vehicle collisions (7-1-2011 through 6- 30-2012)* *www.statefarm.com Photo: Field & Stream Magazine website
What’s the Big Deal? “Deer Tick” ~ Lyme Disease www.cdc.gov/lyme
The Blacklegged Tick’s Two-year Life Cycle May through Sept larvae hatch August larvae feed on variety of small mammals (white-footed mice, eastern chipmunks, meadow voles, short- tailed shrews, masked shrews, robins, etc.) May through July, nymphs becomes active and take their second feeding. Nymphs have been collected from over 100 different species of animals as well as people. Virginia Department of Health
Feeding Time for B. burgdorferi Transmission CUMULATIVE PROBABILITY OF B. Cumulative Probability of B. burgdorferi burgdorferi TRANSMISSION FOR EACH Transmission for Each Hour Attached HOUR ATACHED 1.0 0.8 T = (1 - exp[- λ γ (t - G) γ ] ) k PROBABILITY 0.6 WEIBULL MODEL 0.4 36 hours 0.2 0.0 0 24 48 72 96 HOURS ATTACHED From DesVignes et al. Virginia Department of Health
The Role of White-tailed Deer Deer ears covered by ticks An engorged female tick that drops off of a deer may have the potential to lay up to 3,000 eggs. Virginia Department of Health
So What’s the Big Deal? (Summary) Annual nationwide estimates of deer damage are reported to be in the multi-billions of dollars!!! Car damages Personal health Agricultural crop damage Landscape damage $ Damage to forests and parks Reliable statistics for wildlife-related losses are difficult to obtain and estimates are usually conservative
About Deer (Sub-Topic #2) Chinese General Sun Tzu (±700~200 BCE) in “The Art of War”: “Know thy enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are sure to be defeated in every battle.”
Whitetailed deer Odocoileus virginianus February in a fellow Master Gardener’s yard Photo by Merikay Smit
About Deer: Familial Neophobic Adaptable Habitual A “prey” species Territorial Photo by Merikay Smith
Photo: US Fish & Wildlife Service
Photo: US Fish & Wildlife Service
Photo: US Fish & Wildlife Service
Photo: National Park Service
Photos by Merikay Smith
Photo: US Fish & Wildlife Service
Plant Selection (sub-topic #3) General rules: Do not like spiny surfaces Do not like unusual textures Do not like aromatic plants Rarely eat plants that produce yellow flowers Use plants that deer do not like REMEMBER: Deer do NOT read!!!!!!
Plant Selection: See University of Maryland Fact Sheet (FS) 655 for listings (http://extension.umd.edu/hgic, select “Information Library”, and then select “Publications”) Categories Sub-Categories Rarely Damaged Trees Seldom Damaged Shrubs and Climbers Occasionally Damaged Annuals, Perennials & Bulbs Frequently Damaged REMEMBER: Deer do NOT read!!!!
Repellents and Scare Tactics (Sub-topic #4) See University of Maryland FS 810 for listings (http://extension.umd.edu/hgic, select “Information Library”, select “Publications”) Repellents generally more effective where Low to moderate deer pressure Light to moderate deer feeding damage Small acreage Repellents not being used on adjacent properties Alternative food sources are available Taste-based versus odor-based
Some of the Many Commercially Available Deer Repellents
Delivering Repellents Systemic repellents Contact repellents Area repellents
Repellents and Scare Tactics Dogs Homemade repellents and area repellents Hair (human or other known predator, e.g., dog or wolf) Bar soap (High fragrance such as Dial, Cashmere Bouquet, Ivory, Irish Spring, Safeguard, Jergens, etc.) – MUST change location and brand of soap frequently Mothballs – CAUTION! Mothballs are poisonous to children and pets – Place in cheesecloth, net or stocking and hang 3 feet apart Fabric softener strips – must be highly fragrant – tie every 3 feet
Do-it-Yourself Formulae “The recipes for natural deer repellents and the myths about deer repellent recipes abound. Some folks swear by them, others swear at them . Either way, science has been pursuing the fail safe combination of smells and taste deterrents for centuries with mixed results. The recipes usually consist of the same basic ingredients--human hair, garlic, pepper, strong smelling soaps such as Dial or Irish Spring, coyote urine, cat feces from large cats--such as tigers and other zoo animals, fertilizers, fabric softener, eggs and a variety of herbs, spices and vinegar. Taste deterrents include pepper, garlic and hot spices. Dozens, if not hundreds of recipes for both kinds of repellents can be found on the Internet or in popular gardening magazines .” From: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/natural-deer- repellent-recipe#.UvPy3iwo6ic#ixzz2sZoGHz4R
Make your own deer repellent bags using Milorganite
Motion-sensing Deer Sprays: Battery or solar powered Adjustable sensitivity settings Sprays deer with water which startles them
Electric Trainers May Teach Deer to Shun Your Garden Produces effective but harmless micro-shocks. One set protects 1,200 square feet of plantings. Lure attracts deer to post, which gives them a mild shock. Scent lures work short-range, won't attract deer to your property.
Birth Control Costly ($300 to well over $1,000 per treatment – which must be done under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian, etc.) Hard to track Renders treated deer inedible Limited effectiveness – shots may only last one breeding season and then only ±80% effective The same animal rights groups that argue for it also argue against it Do an internet search for “Deer birth control” for additional information
Fencing (sub-topic #5) Solid (privacy) fences Electric fences Living fences Living fences combined with pre-fab mesh High fences Dual fence lines
Electric Fence Deters deer No protection from small animal pests If electricity fails, fence can be breached
Fencing: needs to be high (8- 10’+) Photo: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Phillip White
Developing a Strategic Plan (Sub-topic #6) Information provided on deer behavior, plant selection, repellents and fencing should arm you with the information you need to develop your garden’s personalized strategic plan Must include alternatives Meanwhile, please help Maryland manage the white-tailed deer population through population management alternatives
POPULATION DYNAMICS To maintain a stable population, about 50% of the does must die each year.
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