Starlings A homeowner was having trouble with nesting starlings in her patio area in the week of April 18, 1996. The long-term solution for this kind of problem is to alter the structure to prevent birds from nesting. Make sure the ends are closed to prevent entry. Some of the short-term solutions include a sticky repellent, scaring devices, or distress calls. Deer Deer were reported to cause severe damage to apples and hostas in a home landscape in the week of April 18, 1996.
Deer are very adaptable and are becoming a common problem in urban home landscapes.
However, read the labels of commercial repellents to make sure target plants are listed. Many repellents are not labeled for food crops. Raccoons Several homeowners have reported damage to their landscape amelanchiers from raccoons, who had climbed up to pick a little ripe fruit in the week of July 4, 1996. In both cases, major branches were broken on the plant. This sort of damage is so random that controlling the animal is unnecessary, unless it becomes pesky in other ways.