In urban areas deer can damage home gardens and landscapes as they look for food. Deer damage plants by browsing on foliage and branches, they have no upper front incisors so leaves and twigs are ripped from trees leaving a ragged surface. The males also rub antlers against the trunks resulting in bark being scrapped off the trees.  Deer damage occurs mostly in the spring on new and succulent growth.

Once the animals become established in an area it is difficult to move them out and a combination of methods should be tried. They are nervous by nature and a temporary solution can be achieved by frightening with gas explosives or using flashing lights. If you own a dog, just the scent of it may work as a deterrant.

More permanent solutions to avoiding deer damage involve selecting plants that they don’t like, using a range of repellents or using fencing and netting.

When choosing plants it is worth noting that if the animals are hungry they find almost anything palatable, though some deer damage and eat plants that others ignore.

Deer have a good sense of smell by which they locate food and certain scents may deter them if used correctly. These come in the form of repellants but at best are only partially effective and should be reapplied after rain.