New product uses proprietary process to protect plants and trees from deer and rabbit damage
The rising whitetail deer population in the U.S. is reaching epidemic proportions as their numbers grow to exceed 15 million across the country. During the past 10 years, many states east of the Rocky Mountains have seen dramatic population increases and increasing damage to ornamental gardens and commercial crops. Suburban sprawl, human shift to live in more rural areas, restrictions on hunting and firearm use and deer’s adaptability and lack of natural predators are contributing to their rising numbers and associated damage.
Home gardeners have several options for protecting their gardens and minimizing the damage. To select the right products and combat deer effectively, it helps to understand deer feeding habits and behavior.
Feeding Habits and Behavior
Deer are known to eat more than 500 different kinds of plants, although they are selective feeders when a variety of plants are available. But when their preferred foods become scarce, as in winter, there are few plants that deer won’t eat. You can greatly reduce damage in your garden by choosing deer-resistant plants, but when times are tough, even these plants may not be safe from a hungry deer’s diet.
Like squirrels, raccoons and rabbits, deer are very adaptable and thrive in suburbia’s mix of woodlands, abandoned farmer’s fields and landscaped plants and gardens. Deer quickly learn which areas are home to dogs and children and adjust their schedules and foraging areas accordingly.
All-natural Deer Control Options
Gardens Alive!®, a mail-order garden supply company specializing in all-natural products, offers several proven products that effectively repel deer and protect against devastating damage.
The newest in its large collection of Environmentally Responsible Products That Work!™, Critter Chaser XR™ Deer and Rabbit Repellent Strips employ a proprietary process to embed putrescent egg in a rubber membrane that can be hung from tree branches, shrubs, fences or stakes. The bad odor—only noticed by deer and rabbits, not humans—is emitted slowly over time, allowing the strips to last 4 to 5 weeks in the garden, no matter how much rainfall your garden receives. It’s by far the easiest-to-use and most-effective deer repellent on the market today. Critter Chaser’s technological innovation won a 2010 Green Thumb Award.
Controlled tests have shown that untreated vegetable plants had 25 to 32 times more leaves eaten by rabbits than those treated with Critter Chaser XR. A separate test compared the height of oats treated with Critter Chaser XR to those completely surrounded by protective cages. Week after week, the oats treated with Critter Chaser XR were within a half-inch of the height of those protected by cages. By the end of the four-week study, the oats in cages were, on average, a mere two inches taller than those treated with Critter Chaser XR.
Plantskydd® Animal Repellent offers long-lasting, economical protection against the damage caused by hungry deer, elk and rabbits. The organic and all-natural ready-to-use spray is proven effective for up to 6 months, making it more economical than similar products that don’t last as long. For the best protection, new growth must be sprayed during periods of rapid growth.
Deer Off® Repellent protects against deer, rabbits, tree squirrels and other animals that browse and feed on flowers, grass, bulbs, shrubs, plants, seedlings and trees. Its Patented Dual Deterrent System™ provides both odor and taste barriers, so pests won’t return for another taste. All-natural concentrate is weather-resistant.
An independent study by the Walnut Council Society tested the performance of Plantskydd and Deer Off, along with 13 other deer repellents, with favorable results. The nearly two-year-long study showed no damage during two separate applications and assessments of trees treated with Deer Off. No damage was found during the first application and assessment of Plantskydd, but slight browsing was noted during the second assessment. (Researches noted that they didn’t reapply some products as often as their labels directed—Plantskydd fell into this category.)
For more on Critter Chaser XR Deer and Rabbit Repellent Strips and other exclusive all-natural products from Gardens Alive!, send your readers to www.GardensAlive.com/CritterChaser or contact us at publicity@gardensalive.com.
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