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August 08, 2009
Beer-Inspired Gardener Discovers Deer Repellent - 4
by J.R. Absher
Have you tried everything from soap shavings to coyote urine to keep hungry deer out of your vegetable garden and flowerbeds? Oxon Hill, Md. gardener Chris Erwin, who says he came up with the concept after drinking “a couple of beers,” claims deer haven’t bothered his expansive vegetable plot since he surrounded it with the neon-colored tape used by cops to mark crime scenes. Ervin says he had grown weary of his annual battle with an estimated 50 whitetail deer that commonly visited his property on a nightly basis, gobbling his flowers, ornamental shrubs and vegetables. Then, one afternoon while mowing the lawn and admittedly inspired “by a couple of beers", Ervin says solution to his deer problem just came to him. Ever since he first encircled his plot of corn, beans, melons, collard greens and squash with the bright tape two years ago, the deer have respected the marked boundary like the respectful public does at an actual crime scene. “I wish I had patented it because you can see how pretty the garden is,” Ervin proudly told a Washington, DC-area television station recently. “They don’t touch it. They’ll eat everything else around here but they don’t touch it.” Ervin speculated that the motion of the iridescent tape in the breeze is enough to keep the wary deer from crossing the boundary. To improve on Ervin’s idea, here at the Newshound we’ve decided a chalk whitetail buck outline on the ground behind the tape would be a nice added touch. The idea just kinda came to us after a couple of beers. |
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Comments (4)
I think it has more to do with the fact that the deer can feel the tape as they walk into it and that really acts as more of a deterrent, plus the unnatural sound of the plastic flapping probably helps.
Many gardeners around here do a verison of the crime tape. Surround the garden with string and surveyor tape tied at various spots along the string. The movement and color seems to deter them. I like the chalk out line idea I will add that this fall to my wife's garden.
Whatever the reason, seems a good, simple idea...although maybe a bit of an eyesore. My dad used to get hair clippings from the local barber and put them in cut panty hose and hang from the limbs of our fruit trees. Can't say it did the trick all the time, but did alright.
Some of the best ideas come after a couple of beers & if you stop after a couple you can usually remember them.
Post a Comment (200 characters or less)
I think it has more to do with the fact that the deer can feel the tape as they walk into it and that really acts as more of a deterrent, plus the unnatural sound of the plastic flapping probably helps.
Many gardeners around here do a verison of the crime tape. Surround the garden with string and surveyor tape tied at various spots along the string. The movement and color seems to deter them. I like the chalk out line idea I will add that this fall to my wife's garden.
Whatever the reason, seems a good, simple idea...although maybe a bit of an eyesore. My dad used to get hair clippings from the local barber and put them in cut panty hose and hang from the limbs of our fruit trees. Can't say it did the trick all the time, but did alright.
Some of the best ideas come after a couple of beers & if you stop after a couple you can usually remember them.
Post a Comment (200 characters or less)