Protecting your garden from deer can feel like a constant battle. Deer Deterrents are essential for any gardener dealing with these browsing creatures, and understanding the best methods is crucial. While various solutions exist, Chicken Wire, a readily available material, offers a surprisingly effective defense. Properly installed, your local hardware store’s chicken wire can deter deer with chicken wire, creating a physical barrier that prevents them from reaching your prized plants. This approach, championed by many members of the American Horticultural Society, provides a cost-effective and humane way to keep your garden thriving.
Image taken from the YouTube channel Living Traditions Homestead , from the video titled Not a SINGLE DEER Has Crossed this Fence to Eat Our Garden and Orchard! .
Deter Deer with Chicken Wire: Your Guide to a Deer-Free Garden
Deer can wreak havoc on gardens, devouring your prized plants and vegetables. Fortunately, a simple solution exists: deterring them with chicken wire. This guide provides a practical, step-by-step approach to using chicken wire to protect your plants from hungry deer.
Understanding the Problem: Why Chicken Wire Works
Deer are browsers, meaning they graze on a variety of plants. They are also creatures of habit, and once they find a reliable food source (your garden!), they tend to return. Chicken wire, while seemingly simple, deters deer in several key ways:
- Physical Barrier: It creates a physical obstacle that deer are reluctant to cross. They prefer to avoid tight spaces and tangled barriers.
- Visual Deterrent: The sight of chicken wire can deter deer, especially when they associate it with difficulty accessing food.
- Textural Discomfort: Deer dislike the feeling of chicken wire against their bodies, especially their noses.
Planning Your Chicken Wire Defense
Before you start unrolling the wire, careful planning is crucial for effectiveness.
Assessing Your Garden Needs
- Identify Vulnerable Plants: Determine which plants deer are most likely to target. These are the ones you need to protect most urgently.
- Measure the Area: Calculate the perimeter and height of the area you want to enclose. This will determine how much chicken wire you need. Remember to add extra for overlap and burying.
- Consider the Deer Population: If deer pressure is high in your area, you might need a taller or more robust barrier.
Choosing the Right Chicken Wire
Not all chicken wire is created equal. Here’s what to look for:
- Mesh Size: A smaller mesh size (e.g., 1-inch) is more effective at deterring smaller deer and preventing them from sticking their noses through.
- Wire Gauge: A heavier gauge wire (lower number) is stronger and more durable, resisting bending and damage from deer. 20-gauge or heavier is recommended.
- Material: Galvanized chicken wire is rust-resistant and will last longer. Avoid uncoated wire, as it will quickly corrode.
- Height: 4-foot tall chicken wire is generally sufficient for most deer, but in areas with higher deer populations, a 5- or 6-foot tall barrier might be necessary.
Gathering Your Materials
Besides chicken wire, you’ll need:
- Support Posts: Wooden stakes, metal T-posts, or even sturdy branches can be used as support posts.
- Fasteners: Zip ties, wire staples, or chicken wire clips to attach the wire to the posts.
- Gloves: To protect your hands from the wire.
- Wire Cutters: For cutting the chicken wire to size.
- Hammer or Post Driver: For installing the support posts.
Building Your Chicken Wire Barrier
Now, let’s get to the construction.
Step 1: Installing the Support Posts
- Spacing: Place support posts every 6-8 feet along the perimeter of the area you want to protect. Closer spacing provides more stability.
- Depth: Drive the posts at least 1-2 feet into the ground for a secure hold. Deeper is better in loose soil.
- Alignment: Ensure the posts are straight and aligned to create a neat and effective barrier.
Step 2: Attaching the Chicken Wire
- Starting Point: Begin at one corner and securely attach the chicken wire to the first post using your chosen fasteners.
- Unrolling and Stretching: Unroll the chicken wire along the line of posts, stretching it taut as you go. This prevents sagging and gaps.
- Securing to Posts: Attach the chicken wire to each post at regular intervals (e.g., every 12 inches) to maintain a consistent barrier.
- Overlap: Overlap the ends of the chicken wire by at least 6 inches and secure them together to create a continuous enclosure.
Step 3: Preventing Deer from Digging Underneath
Deer are resourceful and may try to dig under the chicken wire. Here are a few solutions:
- Bury the Wire: Bury the bottom edge of the chicken wire at least 6 inches deep. This prevents deer from digging underneath.
- Create an "L" Shape: Bend the bottom edge of the chicken wire outward, forming an "L" shape that lies flat on the ground. This discourages digging.
- Lay Rocks or Mulch: Place heavy rocks or a thick layer of mulch along the base of the chicken wire to deter digging.
Alternative Chicken Wire Applications
Beyond perimeter fencing, chicken wire can be used in other ways to protect individual plants or small groups of plants.
- Cages: Create individual cages around vulnerable plants, providing complete protection.
- Tree Guards: Wrap the trunks of young trees with chicken wire to prevent deer from rubbing their antlers against them.
- Raised Beds: Line the bottom of raised beds with chicken wire to prevent rodents and other pests from burrowing in.
Maintaining Your Chicken Wire Defense
Regular maintenance is key to ensuring the long-term effectiveness of your chicken wire barrier.
- Inspect Regularly: Check the chicken wire for damage, such as tears or sagging, and repair it promptly.
- Tighten Fasteners: Ensure that the chicken wire is securely attached to the support posts.
- Clear Vegetation: Remove any vegetation that grows against the chicken wire, as it can provide a foothold for deer.
- Monitor Deer Activity: Watch for signs of deer attempting to breach the barrier and adjust your defenses accordingly.
Deer Gone! Chicken Wire Secret: FAQs
Here are some common questions about using chicken wire to deter deer from your garden.
How does chicken wire actually deter deer?
Deer are easily startled by the unexpected feeling of chicken wire against their legs. The texture is unpleasant for them, so they quickly learn to avoid areas protected by it. This simple barrier deters deer with chicken wire effectively without harming them.
What height of chicken wire fence is needed to keep deer out?
Generally, a chicken wire fence of at least 4 feet high is recommended. Deer can jump, but they are less likely to attempt it if they can’t easily see what’s on the other side. For best results, ensure the fence is taut and securely anchored.
Is chicken wire safe for deterring deer or could it injure them?
Chicken wire is a relatively safe way to deter deer. It doesn’t harm them; it only provides an unpleasant sensation that discourages them from entering the protected area. Always ensure the wire is properly installed to prevent tangling and potential injury.
Besides gardens, where else can chicken wire be used to deter deer?
You can use chicken wire to protect individual plants, trees, or even small groups of plants. Simply create a small cage around the vulnerable items. This is a cost-effective way to deter deer with chicken wire from your prized flowers or shrubs.
So, give it a try! See if you can deter deer with chicken wire. Let me know how it goes and if you have any other tips to share!