How to stop deer damage

We weren’t the only ones who experienced a long, bitterly cold winter. Area deer did, too. That means they’re hungrier than ever for the new buds now forming on our expensive landscaping plants, including early arrivals like forsythia, burning bushes, hydrangea and the emerging tips of tulip, daylilies, and hostas.

If you live near a wooded area, a park or a golf course, you’ve probably experienced deer damage to your landscaping plants. This is especially true in the Bay Village/Rocky River area, where there are a thousand acres of parks.

In Northeast Ohio, deer are considered “overabundant,” with herds exceeding the capacity of local habitats.

“Deer are an ‘edge species,’” explains Jeff Ardo, founder of En Garde Deer Defense, the highly rated deer deterrent spray service. “They use parks and other nearby wooded areas as cover, then explore into neighborhoods to feast on our expensive landscaping buffet.”

But there is something you can do.

Treatment That Really Works

En Garde Deer Defense is a deer deterrent spray service that helps prevent deer damage to valuable landscaping plants, which have skyrocketed in price in recent years. Jeff started the company nine years ago due to his own frustrations with deer damage. His teams use a proprietary deer spray that is both safe and natural, and it cannot be found online or in stores. Due to the nature of its ingredients, it cannot be stored on a shelf, and it’s these ingredients that allow it to work so well.

 “This means we have to mix our spray fresh every morning,” Jeff says. “It’s effective, weather-resistant, transparent and virtually odorless to humans.”

Most homeowners who contact En Garde have already tried many other options, including off-the-shelf sprays at big-box home improvement stores, and countless homemade concoctions found online, but nothing works. “When we show up and the deer damage is dramatically reduced or eliminated, our customers are pleasantly surprised,” Jeff adds.

Start Early

The goal of the spray service is to teach area deer that the expensive plants in your yard are unpleasant and encourage them to forage elsewhere. And the sooner you get started, the better.

“By starting in the early spring, we train deer right away that your yard is off limits,” Jeff says. “If we wait until later in the summer when damage has already occurred, it is more difficult for deer to break the grazing habits they’ve already established. Once they discover nutritious food on your property, they put you on their regular path. Just like we have the habit of enjoying our favorite restaurants over and over again, so do deer.”

Plants vulnerable to deer damage in spring and summer include tulips, daylilies, hostas, hydrangeas, roses, and geraniums. Plants vulnerable in winter include arborvitae, rhododendrons, azaleas, yews, and euonymus. 

The spray’s unique formula and an early start to the service are not the only reasons for the effectiveness of En Garde’s service. Proper application is also essential.

Professional Spray Technicians

While we’ve been hunkered down this winter, the spray techs at En Garde have been in training, bolstering customer service skills and improving their knowledge of deer habits. “Our spray technicians are trained to identify 150 different species of plants vulnerable to deer damage,” Jeff adds. 

“Our new employees also undergo a four- to six-week, hands-on, in-the-field apprenticeship with Jeff the owner before being allowed to work alone.”

Training also includes a final test to achieve certification. “The test includes questions about plants, deer behavior, spraying techniques, and questions our clients may have,” Jeff says.

Get Started with a Free Trial

En Garde is so effective, the company currently has 368 Google reviews with a 4.9-star average rating, and Jeff is so confident in his service that he offers something few other companies do: a free trial. Jeff gives every homeowner a free trial, so that means your first spray costs you nothing and there is no obligation to continue. However, once customers see that the service really works, most property owners sign up for ongoing service.

Jeff’s crews can handle a limited number of free trials during the spring—the busiest part of the season—so it’s a good idea to schedule your own free trial as soon as possible.

EnGarde Deer Defense

440-447-0022

EGDeerDefense.com