Keeping Bambi at Bay

A LITTLE PLANTING KNOWLEDGE AND PREEMPTIVE PROTECTION CAN HELP DETER DEER FROM NIBBLING

MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES, JUNE 2022

Article by Nancy A. Ruhling

Photography by Donna Gioia Volpe Photography

Originally published in Somerset Hills City Lifestyle

White-tailed deer are among New Jersey’s most notorious residents. Clustered in the suburbs, these majestic animals are the homeowner’s worst nightmare: the uninvited dinner guests who never go home.

For the last 40 years, Bridgewater-based Deer Solution has been keeping the does, fawns and bucks at bay. 

The company—which has been owned since 2008 by Kristopher and Jaime Goodrich, a married couple who met as high schoolers in New Jersey—works with clients in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland.

“There is no 100-percent deer-proof solution,” Kristopher says.

“But there are ways to lessen the impact,” Jaime adds. 

The deer are feasting on my yard like it’s an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord. How can Deer Solution help?

We have a proprietary, all-natural repellent that we spray on the property. It wards them off with tastes and smells they don’t like. Not only is our repellent effective, but it is family, pet and environmentally friendly as well. Typically, we spray once a month. Having the Deer Solution service is cheaper than replacing your entire yard. The treatment is, of course, not a cure-all. It’s possible that deer will still walk through the property. 

I’ve heard tales of whole yards that were devoured by these cute creatures.

Yes, each deer can eat eight to 10 pounds of plants every day—that’s a lot of lettuce, especially when there are five, 10 or 15 deer dining in your yard at the same time. When they’ve finished their meal, it can look like a weed wacker came through. They can reach up about six feet, so it’s not uncommon to see arborvitae that are full at the top but stripped all the way to the ground.

Are there any plants they particularly like to snack on?

Hostas are among their favorites because they are lush and high-moisture. In one fell swoop, a deer can wipe out a row. They also like roses, euonymus, daylilies and arborvitae. All of these plants, of course, are prevalent in New Jersey and are popular with homeowners as well as deer.

Are there any plants—say the equivalent of deer broccoli—that will keep all the Bambis away?

There are several so-called deer-resistant plants. They include the evergreens andromeda, leather leaf viburnum, boxwood and Colorado blue spruce. The deer are not too keen on flowering vincas, irises, daffodils, butterfly bushes, foxgloves, marigolds, zinnias, peonies, spireas, poppies and bleeding hearts either. 

Discover more deer repellant tips at deersolution.com.

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