deer

Photo by Cafe Sheri

Deer problems or skunk troubles causing problems in or around your garden? A couple handy tips await...


While I don't have deer or skunk in my neighborhood, I still have to look out for those of you woodsy-living mamas who do! Here are some cool tips for kindly dealing with common deer or skunk dilemmas that may occur in your garden.

How to Keep Deer Out of Your Garden:

Cafe Cynthia from Toddler Buzz told me about this very cool (and non-toxic) tip for keeping deer and other pests out of your garden or landscaping. String up some of this shiny holographic bird scare flash tape around your deer-ly delicious garden!

Cafe Cynthia says: "This stuff is all the rage in Connecticut. It REALLY keeps the deer and other pests away from the landscaping. They don't like the rippling sound it makes. My mom has been using it, and the deer have not touched her plants. Usually by this time, the yard is annihilated."

Thanks for the tip, Cafe Cynthia! Sorry, deer.

How to Get Rid of Skunk Stink (for reals):

I was fascinated by this Science Friday segment Skunked? Tomato Juice Is Not the Answer, all about neutralizing skunk spray smells from a terrier (yep, for someone who failed Biology 101, I sure LOVE Science Friday). It all comes down to—nope, not tomato juice—basic chemistry.

Go take a listen to how chemists William Wood of Humboldt State University and Paul Krebaum explain how to neutralize the stinky skunk spray molecules and provide a surefire recipe for getting the skunk stink out (think hydrogen peroxide, people).

Science is cool.

 

+++ What about you? How do you deal with the deer, skunk, or other woodland cuties who want to cause problems in your garden?