Does deer destroys property very often? An anti deer fence is the solution

Deer are herbivores but they eat much more than grasses. They munch on wild plants but they love garden food. They will eat most vegetables and fruits are one of their favorite meals. If you do not protect your growing crops you may lose a significant portion to deer. Since the deer are nocturnal animals you most likely will not spot them right away. And before you know it, the deer have destroyed valuable property. An anti deer fence will solve this problem.

It is best to establish your anti deer fence before you plant so that you train the deer to stay away from your garden vegetables before they are enticed to devour your products.

Traditional Solutions

In the past farmers and gardeners used electric or wire fence materials to deter deer from entering their fields or gardens. These were expensive to build, required considerable maintenance, were deemed ugly and often rusted. In addition, they could harm the wild animals because they were made of materials that did not give and had sharp edges. But since the introduction of fencing made from net many of these issues have been overcome.

What Does the Net Fencing Look Like?

The basic component of the fence is netting made of high-density polypropylene. The netting will not rust or fade and can be reused. It usually lasts up to 5 years. The mesh size is ¾ of an inch by ¾ of an inch. Both small and large animals cannot chew this material and so it is very durable. You also require a means of supporting the fencing whether the supports are made of wood or metal T bar posts. The fencing is quite light and therefore does not require anything as sturdy as the traditional fence posts. Another aspect of this fencing is that the mesh of the crop net does not block the view and therefore it is less objectionable than other barriers.

How Do you Install an Anti Deer Fence?

The first step is to determine what area you want to protect. Walk where you have decided to erect the fence. Clear out any bushes or cut back any tree branches that might be in your path. A swath of about 5 feet wide is enough area in which to install the fence. Take care with any gaps that are low to the ground. Deer like to crawl under this barrier more than they will attempt to jump over the fence. Now that you have established an area for your fence, you can erect posts. A good measurement for the width between the posts is 12 feet apart. If you are willing to string a tension cable along the top you can widen this gap to 15 feet.

Metal posts can be driven into the ground with a sledgehammer or a post driver. It is easiest to gain some height when completing this operation. Standing in the bed of a pickup truck is helpful. Since deer love to lean on or push at your fence, it is important that the posts are sturdy. In some ground conditions, you may have to set the posts in concrete.

When all the posts are in place, you can start installing the Anti Deer Fence at one corner. Zip ties work well to attach the fencing to the posts. It is helpful for 2 people to work together in the erecting of the fencing. Once the crop net is secure at the first post, you unroll the fencing vertically, heading for the second post. Again zip tie the crop net in position but do not pull it tight just yet. Continue to the third post. Now it is time to position the Anti Deer Fence. There should be a flare at the ground level and the fence should stand 7 feet tall. The flare at ground level will keep the deer from going under the fencing. At the first post tighten all of the zip ties or add more zip ties to hold the netting in place. You will need 5 or 6 zip ties to hold it in place. When you move to the second post pull the fencing tight but make sure there is some give to absorb the pressure from a deer leaning on the fence. Continue this same procedure of setting the netting up on several posts and then backtracking to secure it tightly.

Trees can be used as posts. If there are enough trees in your area you can zig zag the fencing around them. Use nails to attach the fencing to the trees with a U shaped nail for the cabling at the top of the netting.

When you are finished you will have a secure and safe area for your vegetables to grow without disturbance. This netting not only protects them from deer but also some other smaller animals. The netting is smooth enough that it will not harm the wild animals or your pets or children.

Protection from Chewing Animals

If you find that some rodents are chewing the netting of the fence you can add a chew guard at the base of the fence. In some areas, this may not be necessary as there are fewer rodents.

A Different Use of Anti Deer Fencing

Sometimes you just want to protect a number of young trees because deer will eat the bark if they are hungry enough. Instead of building a fence with the netting, you can surround the tree with the netting as a guard against the deer. Their teeth cannot destroy the polypropylene strands of the netting. And hopefully, the fruit is high enough that the deer are unable to reach them.

Another use for the Anti Deer Fence

This netting has many uses besides fencing. You can use it to stake your plants. Erect the netting alongside climbing vegetables such as cucumber or pumpkin and the plants will twist themselves into the netting pulling the plant and fruit upwards toward the light. The netting not only gives the plants support but encourages the fruit to form in an easier position for picking. In addition, individual plants do not require plant stakes and by this very fact, the plants are not handled by humans so that transference of diseases is minimized.