However, the other night at about 2 a.m., these lights came on and lit up our house like Times Square. Before Christmas'' as I pulled up the window blinds only to discover that there was a herd of deer grazing on the spinach in our garden. According to Jeff Jackson, University of Georgia wildlife biologist, one deer can eat four pounds of woody twigs in a day. That's about 120 pounds a month. And according to some research from Michigan's George Reserve, two bucks and four does produced a herd of 160 descendants in just six years.
Nuisance deer are difficult to control in residential communities.
There are a number of commercially available repellents on the market, but they wash off with rain and must be reapplied. Most home remedies are also unreliable and many are unsafe. Shooting is often prohibited. Planting deer-resistant ornamentals is one of the best ways to minimize deer browsing. However, remember that very few plants are totally deer-resistant.