Deer are literally everywhere!
As landscaping costs continue to climb, En Garde Deer Defense helps homeowners protect their investment from hungry deer.
Hungry deer don’t just destroy expensive landscaping plants in the outer suburbs. Homes in the city are vulnerable, too.
When many people in Northeast Ohio think of deer damage to landscaping plants, what may come to mind is the outer edges of the suburbs.
But deer are everywhere.
In fact, En Garde Deer Defense, the popular deer-deterrent spray service, has customers in every city and township across Greater Cleveland. That speaks to the effectiveness of the company’s service and to the vastness of our deer population.
“One of the greatest advantages of living in Northeast Ohio is the beauty of the Cleveland Metroparks, which are spread throughout the region,” says En Garde founder Jeff Ardo. “Combine that with the many other community parks—and more than 100 golf courses in our area—and there are plenty of places for deer to hide. Unfortunately, when they come out of hiding, they feast on the landscaping plants in our neighborhoods.”
Right now, hostas, daylilies and roses are putting on a show, but we humans are not the only ones who notice.
Deer notice, too.
“Deer love the same plants we do,” Jeff says. “That includes tulips and hyacinths in early spring, plus hostas, hydrangeas, roses, geraniums and more this time of year.”
Have You Seen the Price of Plants Lately?
If you’ve visited a garden center this year, you already know how expensive landscaping plants have become. Inflation, international trade disruptions and high diesel shipping costs have significantly increased the prices of our favorite trees and shrubs, with some of the most popular varieties up by more than 60%.
The $65 shrub you bought a couple of years ago now costs more than $100.
“That’s one reason our deer deterrent service is so popular,” Jeff says. “Plants are very expensive these days, and homeowners want to protect their investment.”
Jeff started his company nine years ago after his frustrations with deer damage, and it’s grown rapidly ever since.
That’s because it actually works.
Why It Works
“Most homeowners call us only after they’ve grown frustrated with other spray products and homemade concoctions that don’t work,” Jeff says. “We use a proprietary deer deterrent spray that’s safe, natural and effective. It’s weather-resistant, transparent and virtually odorless to humans. But to deer—with their keen sense of smell—the odor is irritating and triggers an instinct that makes them think a predator is in the area.”
Unfortunately, Jeff’s proprietary spray cannot be bought in stores. That’s because the unique ingredients that make it so effective mean it cannot be stored on a shelf. “That’s why we mix our spray fresh every morning,” Jeff says. “We can’t package it and store it because it quickly becomes too thick to spray, even with a commercial backpack sprayer.”
An effective spray is just one reason for En Garde’s success. Knowing when, where, how and what to spray is just as important. Over the years, Jeff has become an expert in deer habitat and behavior, as well as in the many types of vegetation susceptible to deer—and he ensures his technicians are experts, too.
“Our spray techs are trained to identify 150 plant species vulnerable to deer damage,” Jeff explains. “And our new employees complete a four- to six-week, hands-on, in-the-field apprenticeship with me before they are allowed to work alone.”
En Garde’s training also includes a final test to achieve certification, covering plants, deer behavior, spraying techniques, and questions clients may have.
EnGarde Deer Defense
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