WHERE THE DEER ROAM, AND THE OPOSSUMS, RACCOONS AND GROUNDHOGS DO TOO …

Mother Nature has provided us with plenty of competition for our garden bounty this year. If I can believe my country friends the deer have been especially rapacious this season. Apart from being hazards on the roads they love to eat garden plants. Small trees and shrubs are especially vulnerable. At a recent dinner party the chief topic of conversation was how to keep the deer away. Since we live in town, I could truthfully say that is the only local wildlife problem we have not yet encountered. We live next door to a park, which deer sometimes visit, but our stockade fence has so far kept them at bay. Even so, deer are a serious garden nuisance in some suburban areas.

There are two basic approaches to the problem: find a way to keep the animals out or protect the plants so deer cannot eat them.

A lot of people swear by grandma's remedies: smelly soaps tied to trees, bundles of human hair (preferably unwashed), shiny foil pie pans or little toy windmills Some of my gardening friends opt for blood meal or solutions of hot pepper sprays. If you are willing to go out after every rain (a serious commitment this year) to reapply the sprays, that might work.

Physical barriers are the best repellents, but not always affordable. There is a product called "Invisible Fence" that I have seen demonstrated, and there are also sound barriers similar to the dog fences some people have for their pets.

Another solution might be to choose plants that deer don't like. Some of those include artemesia, anemone, baptisia, foxglove, ferns, blanket flower, lavender, most mints, bee balm, forget-me-not and of course daffodils and narcissus. Deer also seem not to like marigold, poppies and yucca plants. Bear in mind that a deer will eat almost ANYTHING if it is hungry. Young redbuds, hollies, roses and yew hedges are like caviar to deer, as are crocus and hyacinth, day lilies, hostas, iris, peonies and phlox to name a few common plants. One does wonder how all those redbud and dogwood trees survive in the wild. A question of over-supply, I imagine. The Master Gardeners have a list of deer-resistant plants. All you need do is call the Extension office and ask.

When I said deer seem to be the only wildlife problem we have not encountered, I really meant it. Over the years we have had groundhogs, opossums, raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, moles, voles, Japanese beetles, and bagworms, and those are just some of the OUTSIDE pests.

The groundhog, I learned, is a very persistent animal. One once dug a hole under our front porch and promptly had babies there. We waited until she left, filled the hole, and then watched as she dug back in about 15 seconds. I filled the hole with stones and still she found her way back. In trying to trap the groundhog with our trusty "Hav-A-Hart" animal trap we captured several rabbits, an opossum, a pair of baby raccoons and 1 groundhog. When we phoned the animal control folks we were politely asked if we had a permit to trap "endangered" wildlife. I figured the only thing endangered was our garden, not to speak of our house, but let it pass. The ranger who collected the groundhog kindly brought us an application for trapping.

Early in our tenure, a squirrel invaded the third floor of our vintage house. We saw some of his supply of nuts and acorns, not to mention "other evidence" of his presence. Every time we would shut him out he would find a way back in. He chewed his way through METAL to get into our attic. A hunter friend, who no doubt broke some law, took care of that intruder.

One of our visiting friends renamed our house "Boggleshead." It had previously been known as the Lone Elm House, or the Moneypit. If he could see the latest invasion of birds (through a chimney), bats (we don't know how they got in), and rabbits, we're sure he would have solutions (money). The rabbits, by the way, disappeared for a while back in the spring. I didn't really notice their absence (do you notice the absence of a toothache?) until I saw a gorgeous red fox sauntering down our back drive early one morning. I'd never seen a fox up close before, and in forty plus years I had never seen one in town. He headed straight for our back garden and I never saw him again. I am sorry to say the rabbits are back, and the squirrels never left.

Earlier this summer we had an ancient maple removed from our front yard. The squirrels chattered angrily at the tree cutters and promptly moved into a nearby Horse Chestnut (Buckeye) tree. They took out their frustrations on the tree, scattering twigs and leaves over the lawn, creating more frustration for the nice man who mows our lawn. One day he appeared with a 2-foot band of tin which he affixed to our tree, effectively evicting the squirrels from the nest. No more mess, and we told our neighbors that the tin is a tree band-aid.

If you need solutions to problems with wildlife in your backyard, or have other gardening questions, call the U of I Extension office 345-7034. Volunteer Master Gardeners are in the office on: Monday—2 to 4 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday—9-11 a.m.

This column is based on information and materials at the University of Illinois Extension office, located at 707 Windsor Road, Suite A., Charleston, 61920; phone 345-7034; or web site: www.extension.uiuc.edu/coles/