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Health & Fitness

Oh Deer! Not my whole Garden!

Are you having problems with deer this year? Here's a great product to try!

It’s that time of year again, you know... with the Deer in the garden. I can’t tell you enough how much I love the wildlife on our property, but sometimes, they just get on my nerves! I returned home recently, from a few days of staying with my mom (because of her surgery) and found that the deer had had a huge food festival in my garden. The bugs had a carnival with what the deer didn’t eat. Do you know how irritated I was??? Arghhh.. But I had to look on the bright side and realize that thankfully, it is still early in the growing season. I still have some time for everything to grow back, because the garden had not gotten huge yet. The damage was pretty bad, and the plants were all half the size that they had been. But, they will grow back…. eye roll….

Yes, I was raised in a garden, and I know that you have to implement all means of “protecting your garden investment“. Unfortunately, I had to face the fact that it was my own fault. That’s right folks. I did not stay on schedule- of applying my repellents. Seriously, it's something that must be done and I can prove it.

Last summer, the Liquid Fence Company contacted me and asked if I would do a "product review" for their line of deer and rabbit repellent products. Of course I was skeptical because I had never tried them. But, I did the review over the course of a whole summer’s growing season. I was very impressed to say the least. The key though, is to stay on schedule. Do Not be a slacker if you want to protect your garden! Here is the link to the video of what I did to test the product…  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vteOCqD9_Ns

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 I’m sure you already know that deer are a protected species in the United States. But, we still have to find ways to protect our investments without harming them. With the last 25 years of the expansion of suburbs, golf courses, roads and agricultural activities, we have removed a lot of their natural environment, so it is natural for deer to become a sort of nuisance. Of course, being hungry and curious, and raising their new babies at this time of year, they want to see what we have planted, and believe it or not, they have no idea that it was not planted for them! When they gobble our garden up, I guess we could take it as a compliment and be proud? Maybe flattered? Heck no... They just love our gardens, any garden -and lots of people truly have a smorgasbord of plants that deer will eat.

 All jokes aside, deer cause hundreds of millions of dollars worth of damage to landscapes and gardens every year. Farmers estimate that yearly, they can have as much as one hundred dollars worth of damage, per acre. That might not sound like much- but when they have thousands of acres at stake, it could be devastating.

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Farming is not the only thing effected. Consider the money spent on damages to automobiles from hitting deer, not to mention fatalities from the accidents. June is the time when mama deer will be taking their new babies out for a stroll, to see what the local gardener has planted. They will be crossing roads to do this, so please be on the lookout.

 Deer carry several diseases of humans and livestock, like Tuberculosis. They are a host for the dreaded tiny deer tick as well, but so are cows, dogs, cats, raccoons, skunks, foxes and rabbits. Wild animals can bring the ticks to your yard just as easily as the deer can, and give them to you, your pets and your livestock. You can use a humane and eco-friendly repellent to keep these animals at bay.

Another issue that I find alarming with deer is that they are becoming more accustomed to humans. Please understand that even if a deer gets brave enough to let you approach them,or vice-versa, they are still a wild animal and are not to be trusted. Fatalities have happened to people -and their pets- when confronting a sweet looking deer. They are very territorial and can become extremely aggressive in the blink of an eye- especially if they have babies nearby. Use extreme caution during mating season and especially when they are raising their young.

 This year when you are gardening, try your best to use products that won’t hurt the deer and wildlife, but will be safe for humans, and awesome in protecting your garden, your landscape and your pets. Liquid Fence has a wonderful line of products. You can visit them at www.Liquidfence.com. Their company is an American made company too!

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