It is a weird and perverse universal cosmic law which applies to every homeowner with a yard. This particular statute compounds all that is positive and correct and turns it into a negative.
This is why if a slice of buttered toast is dropped, the chances of it landing with the butter side down seem directly proportional to the value of the rug. The higher the value of the carpet, the more likely the toast will hit buttered side down.
This is sometimes referred to as Murphy’s Law. This decree states “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” This often seems to be especially true at the worst possible time.
Murphy was an aerospace engineer in the early days of the space program. He had plenty of unplanned and unpleasant surprises in his career.
Even today, panhandle Florida’s gardeners likely see Murphy’s warning come to fruition when an unexpected malefactor produces problems in the landscape and vegetable garden.
Deer and rabbits are visiting landscapes across north Florida. It may seem like they have a preference for the plants most valued by people but in reality, they are just browsing the area for tender vegetation as their food supply dwindles in winter.
In 2024 the weather was very conducive to horticultural enterprises, and seeds and other components have been readily available (unlike a few years ago), so horticultural efforts were very productive.
There are, however, creatures which will damage plants in the residential setting. These are not the insect predators of summer which descend in the thousands (if not millions) with ravenous hunger.
In late fall and winter, the destroyers of foliage are more likely to be deer and rabbits.
These native forest dwellers most often forage at night so encounters with humans and predators are less likely. The damage is noticed long after the pillager has departed, and the blame is typically applied to a six-legged herbivore.
Usually, the only clues are the missing foliage and footprints. Sometimes droppings will help identify the midnight caller.
It would seem, with the millions of trees dropping acorns, that the deer and rabbits would dine elsewhere, but it is not the case.
Satisfactory remedies are difficult and sometimes expensive, with many producing dubious results.
The most obvious answer is a sturdy fence. Chicken wire is most often used as it has small openings that only mice and pollinators could penetrate.
The question then becomes which plants are valued enough to justify the expense of the post and wire, and the labor to install it. Also, it must be high enough that deer are deterred from leaping over it.
The homeowner must have an entry and exit point, and they must be willing to accept the detrimental appearance of the protective structure. Where present, Homeowner’s Associations may also have an opinion too.
The next option will be repellants. There are innumerable home formulas, as well as many commercial products available at nurseries and big box retailers.
Repellants have one major shortcoming. They must be reapplied on a frequent and regular basis.
The sun, rain and soil conditions all work to neutralize the efficacy of these compounds. Also, deer and rabbits can become habituated to the presence of the repellent and lose any fear of its presence.
If wildlife repellants are the best option for a particular situation, it will be necessary to switch them periodically so the animals do not become inured to their presence.
The commercial formulations can be mixed with home remedies such as hair clippings from a barbershop or beauty salon.
More traditional solutions such as free running dogs and children with pellet guns have their drawbacks too.
Keeping the winter wildlife out of the landscape and garden will always be a control issue with no enduring solutions. Unlike many children, the deer and rabbits are always happy to eat leafy greens.
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