Re: Bovine auto-eroticism and deer repellants
agreed Judy
----- Original Message -----
From: connie k.hoy <coneh@qwest.net>
To: <perennials@mallorn.com>
Sent: Monday, February 05, 2001 11:06 PM
Subject: Re: Bovine auto-eroticism and deer repellants
> Keith,
> I somehow suspect you are a writer,if not consider doing so, as this was a
> delightful accounting of your circumstance.....
> Dont mean to make light of it but this is one of the most humorous
writtings I
> have encountered in a long while.
> Thanks for sharing your brand of humor.
> Connie
>
>
> > Anyway, to get this back on topic somewhat, I'd like to address the
subject
> > of ravaging deer again. I live in Wyoming County, Western New York.
This
> > is a truly rural area, and there's nothing but cattle farms and
wilderness
> > between any given point 'a' and point 'b'. Being a city boy (New
Orleans,
> > DC, Seattle, LA) it's been quite an adjustment to finally have all the
> > gardening space I could possibly desire and to find ways to co-exist
with
> > the ravenous fauna, Bambi in particular. My home was built in 1972 by a
> > priest who had a degree in horticulture. When I purchased it in 1992,
one
> > of the things that sold me immediately was the landscaping: hundreds of
> > Colorado Blue Spruces, 50 or 60 white Birches and enormous Arborvitae
> > hedges. The second year I was here the Bronze Birch Borer arrived and
> > cheerfully destroyed the Birches. My third year here I spent several
days
> > with a chain saw cutting down all but 6 of the Birch trees, which turned
out
> > to be borer resistant varieties (for now); the rest of the year I spent
in
> > mourning.
> >
> > Up until then the deer hadn't really posed a problem, and since the
> > Arborvitae hadn't been touched, I assumed they weren't to the deer's
liking.
> > I'd had the occasional problem with the rose gardens (at last count I
have
> > 150 roses - mostly species, David Austins and Old Garden Roses) and,
> > needless to say, the vegetable garden, but not enough to get a gun or
invest
> > in a fence of some kind. Until this year. For whatever reason the
> > bastar....uh...beautiful woodland creatures decided to attack the hedges
> > with a vengeance. The damage has been unbelievable and it makes me sick
to
> > even think about it, much less pass it several times a day. And after
what
> > happened to the Birches, I'm not taking any more damage lightly. I got
out
> > my trusty little 'Critter Gitter' and rotated it around the property,
yet
> > herds of deer continued to use the landscaping as their buffet.
Sometime
> > around Christmas I became semi-hysterical and went searching every
garden
> > department of every store within a 50 mile radius for any brand of deer
> > repellent. Since everything garden related was moved to make way for
> > Christmas ornaments (box after box of those ubiquitous icicle lights!!!
> > Ack!!! And wire-frame deer lawn ornaments!!!) I couldn't find a thing
even
> > remotely related to gardening, much less something as specific as deer
> > repellent. So, I went home and researched homemade recipes and threw
one
> > together. In my frenzy I was uncertain which to use, so I simply mixed
> > together The Mother of all homemade deer repellents. Putting on snow
gear,
> > I trudged through 3 foot snow drifts, 16F degree, snowing weather and
> > sprayed the entire perimeter of my property (6.4 acres) with this
> > concoction.
> >
> > Quite frankly, I think I'm fortunate to be alive, and I'm still amazed
that
> > gardening has driven me to such extreme physical and mental overdrive.
> > However, the herds of rampaging beasts have not set hoof on my property
> > since I sprayed that voodoo brew. I don't really know why it worked,
but
> > all I know is that so far, the deer are steering a wide path around me.
I
> > realize that the hordes could return at any time, but I do feel all is
not
> > totally lost. This Summer I might finally get around to installing an
> > electric fence. Or perhaps next Autumn, during rutting season, I'll dre
ss
> > up a barrel like a fetching Bambina and give Bambino an electric
surprise
> > he'll never forget.
> >
> > So, if anyone wants to know what the formula was, here it is: break 8
eggs
> > into a blender, add an oil based sticker-spreader (vegetable oil or
Safers),
> > add water halfway up, blend, and here's the fun part, about an ounce of
high
> > quality clove oil (or more - I just kept dumping until my eyes watered).
> > Blend well, add more water, then add a drop or two of dishwashing
detergent.
> > Blend until it looks frighteningly foamy. Sieve into a five gallon
sprayer
> > and spray recklessly on anything not moving. I concentrated on tree
trunks
> > and such since evergreens can be damaged by ANY spray when it's below
40F,
> > but so far everything looks fine. I will admit that I did respray last
> > month, but changed the formula a bit, using camphor oil instead of
clove.
> > Whatever - it seems to work. Next month it's my beloved grandmother's
> > heirloom gallon of 'Evening in Paris'.
> >
> > Sorry this was so long, but I sincerely hope it helps someone with a
similar
> > problem.
> >
> > Keith, WNY, zone 5
> >
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