keeping deer away from apples

14 years ago

I posted a pear question. Here's an apple one. We have a dwarf apple tree in the front yard that produced a few apples last year. This year we added a macoun. Both had lots of apples about marble size starting and we were excited about it. Yesterday, I saw deer tracks near the trees and noticed that most of the apples had been eaten. There are some still left. I threw a row cover over the tree for the night. I was wondering if wire fencing laid flat a few inches off the ground would keep the deer from walking there. Someone mentioned hanging soap from the tree. I have electric fences around my bee hives but don't really want to put one in the front yard. Any suggestions from people who have had a similar experience?

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Comments (6)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
14 years ago
You're not likely to keep the deer from your trees unless you use the fencing around the tree. Form a circle about 5-6ft tall and secure it well with T posts or the like. Once your tree and apples are above that height, the fencing can come down.

The Fruitnut
glenn_russell
14 years ago
Hi Tony-
I too have fruit trees in the front yard, so a fence really isn't an option for me. I spray Liquid Fence (putrefied eggs) about once a month until there is fruit. After that, I use Deer Out (Peppermint based), but I bag my apples anyway, so it's not really a big deal. After the recent thread about PlantSkyDD (cow blood based), I may give that a try again... gave up on it for a while because it is a pain to spray. For me, all 3 sprays do indeed work, you just have to remember to do so. And, doing so in the middle of January is a pain. Good luck, -Glenn
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valsound
14 years ago
This works for me because my fruit trees and garden are on the middle of 50 acres.
I play a radio 24/7 tuned to a talk station.
I mounted it on the scareacrow inside a plastic garbage bag.
This is the only thing that keeps the deer out of my early sweet corn. (they let the Rambos alone as well)
Obviously this won't work in suburbia.
then, I wouldn't work in suburbia either...
Jake
tonybeeguy
Original Author
14 years ago
Well here's what I did and it has worked so far. I put up a 4 ft high fence that's far enough away from the trees that the deer can't reach them, but the whole area is small enough that there isn't room for the deer to jump inside. I stood by the shop door the other night when I saw the deer show up and it walked up by the fence and then just walked away looking for something easier to get
redskinsnut
14 years ago
link

Here is a link that might be useful: Deer Repellent
marknmt
14 years ago
A local orchard uses sprinklers hooked up to proximity detectors- the same thing that turns on a yard light. I don't know what the wiring involves but it has to be pretty straightforward.

Along the same lines you can plug a radio, CD/tape player, or strobe light into one of those lights too, and it would only come on when the critturs moved, which should make them nervous. Put one speaker a fair distance away from the other and they'll think they're surrounded!

:-)M

keeping deer away from apples

Comments (6)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX

glenn_russell

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keeping deer away from apples

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fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX

glenn_russell

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