ROANOKE, Va. – If you’ve noticed deer in your yard eating all of your favorite plants and flowers, you’re not alone. Roanoke City said it has received several complaints from residents already this year.
Roanoke City’s Landscape Management Coordinator Laura Reilly said it’s normal to see deer in the Blue Ridge, but this time of year it’s worst.
She said typically deer eat natural plants. However, they are tough right now due to the extreme heat and drought. So, they’ve been eating the plants in your yard because they taste better and aren’t as tough.
There are things that you can do to keep them from eating your favorite flowers. She said some things that help are motion-activated sprinklers, deer repellant, and Irish Spring Soap. Reilly also said you can fence off your property. However, Reilly said it’s trial and error.
“Like never before they are coming up to the front door and so with that it’s really tough but I found some things that they have resisted some salvia and some catmint that sort of thing that have worked really well,” said Reilly.
She even recommended calling in the experts to help.
“Some local garden centers have professionals. I’ve noticed on plant tags now it actually says deer resistant or will have a picture with a deer with a line through it that shows that the deer aren’t supposed to like that as much and so those are certainly ways that you can go,” said Reilly.
Roanoke City has a culling program too. City leaders tell 10 News they approved $40,000 for deer culling, which will take place sometime this fall and winter although locations haven’t been finalized yet.
The City said they are exploring alternative options to decrease the number of deer, especially in the more densely populated areas of the city.
Reilly said it’s making changes to its landscaping projects too.
“We’re really making an effort to implement more native plants. Plants that tend to be more deer resistant. So, it’s hard to go back and fix the plants that we’ve already planted but moving forward we’re really trying to be mindful about things that are more resistant, and that deer just don’t find as tasty,” said Reilly.