Thanks for the update. I'm intrigued by these. I keep trying to convince my brother to order them as the guinea pig LOL! Because I've got to either get some permanent fencing installed or use these when I re-locate my vegetable garden. I guess I don't know that I'm going to remember to move them or want to even be bothered by it.

I am curious -- why is deer pressure higher when it's hot and dry? I've not noticed any more damage than usual, though something did get at many of my young fruit trees. I don't think it was deer, though, because both the top and bottom branches were nibbled off -- there is deer fencing but I imagine they probably could stick their heads far enough inside to get the top branches, but they can't get to the bottoms. Rabbits can get the bottom branches but not the top. Maybe groundhogs? But that doesn't seem likely since there's not a whole lot to dine on with these first-year trees, why would they be bothered when there's a whole pasture full of goodies less than 50 foot away. And parkland behind that where it's free for the taking. (read: too much work for them to be bothered climbing the fence or the tree). I did end up wrapping the trees in tulle, which I was going to do anyway because the yearly descent of Japanese beetles has begun, they can destroy a young tree overnight.

It seems to me that when it's very hot and dry, deer are seeking succulent new growth and well tended gardens are their best bet. There are homes just up the street from me that can grow anything because they simply have never been on the deer crossing routes, but my place was for years and years. The wireless fence--6 posts-- worked magnificently at the end of winter and into spring with no damage at all until just a a couple of weeks ago.

"It seems to me that when it's very hot and dry, deer are seeking succulent new growth..."

Ah, that makes sense. I would, too.

not to make light of a serious subject but…..

i did not know Ken had any hostas k left. i thought they wrre smashed in the driveway where was he was dividing them.

and a lot of folks are scratching their heads….aa i can say is ”you’d have to have been there” ……over the years as Ken dispenses advice in his truly inimitable style…..on hosta culture, fertilizing shrubs and trees, his collection and de-collection habits. ”foo-foo” plants “

LV,

Just my 2 cents.

We've had enough rains this spring so no drought here.

Back in April, I emptied all my milorganite pails and socks into a container.

Then I filled the pails and new socks with new milorganite (even added a few).

Then I broadcast the old milorganite in areas that I wanted to improve OM and nutrient content in the soil (mostly the cities ROW and mow able parts of the lawn but a large part of my property).

So far this season, there's only been a few little nips on the middle part of a 5' thuja o. and top of a red osier dogwood shrub. Both are located on the far east side of the house, right next to the adjacent property and not contained in my heavily protected and surrounded by hedges backyard.

Other than that, I've taken the chicken wire off most everything I'm growing in my yard (which looks a lot better btw).

As an aside: My neighbor insisted on housing and feeding a female feral cat last winter. I now have a litter of young cats hunting in and around my backyard.

I had to make some adjustments to keep them from making litter boxes out of my window wells, but the benefit is I haven't seen a sign of a rabbit in my yard all season.

:o)

Bill, I too emptied all my milorganite socks, probably in late February and replaced with fresh. I guess I could try the same again, but I'm so busy with the vegetable garden and watering that by the time I tend to that, the thought of yet another project just wears me out. At 79 I simply can't do what I could do even 3 years ago--and water is heavy! I have to haul it in buckets to a number of places.

I will try to get to replacing the milorganite pretty soon. But the garlic clips on the redbuds and Amelanchier are pretty new and they haven't worked--garlic and milorganite together and the new growth still nibbled to stubs.

If it's any consolation, yesterday afternoon, I set the pail that was hiding in the bushes, right next to the red osier dogwood. There's a sock, 6 ft on either side of this shrub too.

Came out this morning and the deer had been back to snack again, mostly on the top shoots.

As mentioned, this side of the house is wide open to the yard next to mine and that yard has deer running rampant over there.

I guess it's just an ongoing battle and I have to be glad for the times I can keep the deer preferring other people's yards instead of mine. :-)

Bill, after digging the second and last variety of garlic this morning, cleaning it and hanging it, I replaced the milorganite in 6 of the socks. I believe that what I have is one, just one, very stubborn deer. It's also nibbled on my Silene Regia, eaten the tops of several Lobelia syphilitica (they really like those) and the buds and top leaves off a Chelone. I've sprayed all of those with Liquid Fence and moved a couple of the deer posts around in those areas.

We had a little rain the night before last--not nearly enough--but it's hot and dry for the foreseeable future.

' just one, very stubborn deer '

Always seems to be an exception to the rule (dangit).

Lacey, we have heavy deer presence here that I can usually manage to keep somewhat minimal damage if I'll spray those things most tempting with Bobbex. I don't use it on edibles.

I have a fawn from last year with the oddest tastes, she has eaten iris, every flower from every geranium, clematis flowers, even pulled some of the huge trusses from some of the vintage rhododendrons on this acre. I've never had a deer touch a big leaf rhododendron - or an iris.

I'm mulling over buying some of the wireless deer posts, giving those a try at vulnerable plants. So here's my question and I don't know if you have any way of being able to answer or help....we have many year round hummingbirds and lots of other bird species. Would a bird, especially something the size of a hummingbird be injured if landing on one of the stakes? They do perch on my plant supports and I'd hate to give one a shock it couldn't recover from.......TIA

Oh, I have no idea about hummers. But you can email the site--it's run by the veterinarian who developed the posts. I'm sure he'd know. I know little about electricity, but possibly you have to be standing on the ground to get the shock--same reason birds on electric wires don't get shocked. Something to do with grounding.

Bill might know.

The only time a hummingbird was killed on my electric fence was years ago, I had miles of EF for my cattle. One day I was checking fence and there was a dead hummingbird still clinging to the wire, hanging upside down.

The only thing I could figure was, he landed on the wire close enough to the metal post and must've turned his head and touched the post with his beak or some fluke like that.

I think you're right LV, on your electric post type, you have to be in contact with the ground to make a full connection to receive a shock.

It wouldn't hurt to check with the manufacturer to find out what they say.

I don’t think you have to be in contact with the ground to receive a shock. You receive a shock when two or more of the four prongs are touched at the same time. The shock travels between the two touched prongs. I’m guessing the hummer would receive a shock.

Could be. I'm just not sure really how electricity works.

I'm not sure if all 4 prongs are positive charge or not.

To me it would not make sense to have to touch two or more prongs.

It will make sense if it only takes one prong to a grounded nose or tongue to complete the circuit.

Again, I have no idea how they work. Someone would have to contact the company to find out.

eta: If a ground is needed for a shock, dry weather could present a problem. Our EL for animals didn't always work to good if the ground got too dry. :o/

eta: I sent an email. We'll see what they say.

Re electric fence--may work differently since contact ground for the posts isn't involved--the whole system is self contained. We do know the posts don't work if they're wet--just the opposite of electric fence.

Let us know what you find out, Bill.

Hi, received an answer from Keith Betzen this AM.

In his words:

' They have to contact two adjacent electrodes. '

jrb451 is correct.

Ground moisture would not be factor. Different from what I would've thought.

I'd be almost certain that if a hummingbird landed one foot on each electrode or landed on one electrode and then touched one of the others somehow. it would be electrocuted. I don't know how likely it would be for a hummer to do that. I would guess it to be a rare occurrence, uncommon if at all.

I agree, it would be a very rare occurrence, but not impossible.

I called and left a message. The response I got said the 'energy delivered' wouldn't be enough to hurt a hummingbird if one did manage to make contact with two prongs at the same time. I don't think they were considering a hummingbird might perch on one but rather investigate with their beak. And with the beak dry, no harm should come. No one addressed what might happen in rain, it does rain here on the coast but then that's not a question I'd asked.

I've ordered three to try - I'll report back how successfully they might work and if they work well enough to add more.

And if I do find they hurt something, I'll report that honestly too but my concerns are mostly relieved that's possible.

The information on the site and I think that also comes with posts is that they don't work when they're wet. They have to dry off. I think that's why I had some incursions several weeks ago. Before it turned dry, we had a lot of rain, and the posts were wet at night so it took several nights before we had a dry spell, the posts were dry and the new deer got their chance at catching a good buzz. As for the most recent incursion, I'm pretty sure it was just one bold deer, and I think he finally got buzzed. At least there's been no new damage.

I'll have to add, the EF I had for cattle, that killed the HB, was most likely many times stronger than the post type, battery charged ones in the OP.

You plugged it into a regular 110v wall socket, it made an audible hum you could hear 10 ft. away.

I also wanted to add that if you have a large area and not enough posts, they are probably not going to work very well. I have 6 in quite a large newly landscaped (in 3rd season now) area on 3 sides of my small house. I move them around a lot--just pick them up and stick them in the ground somewhere else--but I suggest reading the info on the site fully. Also, I have at least 2 different herds of deer and possibly a third. While the posts are not perfect, overall they work very well to discourage deer from the entire area--though you have to keep at it, refreshing the lures and replacing the batteries. I continue to use scent and taste repellents on especially vulnerable plants. Even so, young leaves on the redbuds and the new Amelanchier were nibbled. They're regrowing but essentially I have lost a half season's growth on those plants. I use Liquid Fence--but it severely damages young growth on redbuds, killing off the leaves and sometimes the new little stems the leaves grow on. I've never had plant damage from the LF on any other plant.

FWIW:

I added a 'sock' opposite of where the pail sits, by the red osier dogwood. The browsing has stopped. :-)

Whatever you do, it needs to be comprehensive. And then there is always the rogue deer that eats stuff no other deer touches or comes closer to the house than any other deer has ever come or...whatever.

Uh Oh, I see a couple of things that could make these not as efficient already and they haven't even arrived yet. We have frequent and considerable rain here on the coast in Washington. And, an acre - where I was hoping to protect particular plants not entire gardens. I can often keep them at bay with Bobbex spray but new growth or new flower buds can get away from me and before I know it, unprotected.

Our black tailed deer don't herd. They occasionally hang out together and tolerate each other. Makes for them coming through, or browsing, or bedding down at all hours of days and nights.

I want to put a dome over my house. I haven't had that much trouble with deer over the years, but this year, it's like they've decided my house is THE cafe at which to dine. Sheesh.

Sad about hummingbirds: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-04-07-mn-27544-story.html 

Well, constant rain would be a problem I think. They dry off quickly, however. And the point of them is that deer associated an experience with a place. They avoid the place where the unpleasant experience occurred. Basically they train deer to avoid the area.

Deer stayed out of my fenced yard for 5 years … until last year when they found my hosta candy store. I’m intrigued with the wireless deer fence but am concerned about harm to dogs and young grandkids. What’s your experience with pets and kids?

I don't have dogs and my cat is indoors. They would likely get a shock if they touched two of the prongs, but certainly not as much as an electric fence. Years ago one of my dogs did get shocked by a pasture fence. She was unharmed, but avoided that fence afterwards.

I think if your grandkids are old enough to be wandering around the garden unsupervised, they are old enough to be told not to touch the top of the posts. The posts themselves are just plastic. It's just the little prongs on top that give the shock. It would scare a kid, but no serious harm at all.