Deer have become a significant contributor to plant damage in the American landscape. They are known to feed on hundreds of plants in the landscape and are estimated to cause more than 2 billion dollars in damage annually. The amount of damage to a particular area or landscape is influenced by several factors.
Abundance of food. As long as there is an abundance of natural food sources deer damage to landscapes is usually minimal. However, when these sources become limiting, such as in the winter and early spring, deer will depend more and more on the plants in the landscape and browse damage becomes more pronounced. Once they make their way to the landscape they will feed preferentially on the plant species at the location. Plants such as daffodils, boxwoods, and barberry are generally left alone by deer, but when there is little else to eat even these plants can be devastated. The application of Buck Off when deer turn their attention to the landscape will cause them to seek other more palatable food sources. Also, as the deer population increases the amount of damage seen may increase dramatically. Buck Off can help reduce deer browse even under these conditions.
The sense of taste and smell. One way that deer learn what they should and should not eat is by the way it smells and tastes. Deer, especially when young, will approach a plant to see if they like the way it smells and tastes. Populations that are allowed to freely feed on the landscape are more likely to acquire a taste even for the less appealing plants. Buck Off applied when young deer begin to browse will reduce the likelihood that they will want to continue feeding on such plants.
Many products on the market contain an ingredient that changes the taste of the plant. However the concentration of these active ingredients is usually too low to make the product very effective. Buck Off effectively repels deer by attacking their sense of smell. Buck Off uses putrescent egg solids to produce a smell that conditions deer not to feed on the treated plants. The active ingredient in Buck Off has been shown to be one of the most effective repellents available and once applied will usually last for at least 30 days before it needs to be reapplied.
Buck Off can prove to be a useful tool in reducing deer browse because of the effectiveness of its active ingredient and its long lasting activity. If you are trying to grow plants in deer territory you owe it to yourself to have Buck Off in your toolbox.
© Cleary Chemical 2008