Damned White Tailed Rats (deer) ate mah 'mater plants!

[Stinky The Clown]

I have two sorry little tomato plants I bought at the Southern States. Nothing at all special. I planted them off the driveway along with basil, parsley, and some marigolds.

We have gotten two nice ripe tomatoes off them so far.

This morning there were a bunch of green tomatoes with tooth marks in them on the ground. The plants themselves were eaten down to the tomato cages and as far down into the cage as a white tailed rat can reach its head.

How does one keep the white tailed rats from eating tomatoes?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Dunno. What's a white tailed rat?

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Deer

The population is Out.Of.Control.

We are on the very edge of suburbia/near rural. They are everywhere and bold as can be. No fear of humans or dogs.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Ah. That makes more sense, because I looked up white tailed rat

and learned that they live only in South Africa and Swaziland. Deer, on the other hand, are a menace. My dad used to call them "woodland cattle." About the only thing you can do, besides getting a family of pumas to hang out in your yard, is put up an electric fence.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. I was using puma and bobcat urine to keep a pair of foxes away and it is still working.

I have to reapply, of course, but the foxes haven't been back.

The deer, on the other hand, are as nonchalant as you can imagine.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. You need an actual puma. A big one.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. See below for the only solution that works for me

Water Scarecrow. We have two on each garden. No deer attacks since we started using them a few years ago. Prior to that, we tried everything....and nothing worked for more than a few days or weeks.

http://www.amazon.com/Contech-CRO101-Scarecrow-Activated-Sprinkler/dp/B000071NUS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374808544&sr=8-1&keywords=water+scarecrow

[Stinky The Clown]

7. Whoa! How cool is *that*!?!?!

That's a great idea.

Not as bad price, either.

Thanks!!!!

[NRaleighLiberal]

8. 9 v batteries last about a month. doesn't use much water. unexpectedly soaks your guests!

My wife has her quilt guild here some times - Sue and I love it when the women come walking in semi-drenched!

(they find it funny, and usually it is so hot they welcome the relief)

[Stinky The Clown]

9. Can you aim it?

I park my truck pretty close to the tomato plant area. Maybe ten feet or so away.

[NRaleighLiberal]

10. Sure - you can set range, distance, height. They are just wonderful little devices!

Deer in our neighborhood are as tame as dogs....that they work to protect my gardens (you know how I feel about my 200 tomato plants!) is a testament to their effectiveness!

[mtnester]

12. Does that work on raccoon's too? We do not have dogs, and it has been a challenge for me for years

to keep them out of the sweet corn. Electric fence, no matter how staggered, just makes them screech and keep going....they can decimate a nearly ready plot overnight.

[NRaleighLiberal]

15. Not sure - they are pretty low - check out the product reviews on Amazon and see what

customers have to say about use of the device beyond deer (it certainly didn't deter hungry groundhogs last year!)

[Laura PourMeADrink]

14. NRL !! That is the coolest invention ever ! Need one bad ! nt

[elleng]

11. ZAP 'em!

My new landlord has a small kitchen garden, and its surrounded by a wire with light electric shock. Might work. He does it for smaller critters.

[NutmegYankee]

13. Fence, a really tall one with barbed wire at the top.

And cross the top with some wire (creating a roof effect) to dissuade the pests from trying to jump the fence. I live in rural Conn,. and we have them everywhere.

Also, the turkeys are everywhere this year too.