Are you seeking deer-proof plants for your landscaping? You should be, if you're interested in not only deer control, but also in controlling the deer ticks that bring Lyme disease. Deer-proof plants supplement deer repellents, deer fencing, noise-makers and other gadgets designed to keep deer away. And successful deer control gives you a leg up in Lyme disease prevention, since it helps keep deer ticks away.
Although deer on the verge of starvation will eat almost anything, the landscaper's best long-term option may well lie in a landscape plan that prescribes "deer-resistant" or deer-proof plants. Simply planting what Bambi usually disdains to eat may not seem as strong a deer-proofing measure as surrounding your property with deer fencing, I admit. But then again, building a fortress around your property has severe aesthetic drawbacks. By contrast, deer-proof plants can be every bit as attractive as the specimens you currently grow in your landscape. Deer-proof plants are also a heck of a lot less expensive than fences!
If your attitude is, "I just let the deer come in and munch away; I enjoy viewing wildlife," please be aware that you may have to adjust your lifestyle accordingly. Deer can harbor the deer ticks that carry Lyme disease. The more deer that come to graze on your property, the greater the chances of you encountering these disease-bearing deer ticks. So take the proper precautions to prevent contracting Lyme disease.
One such precaution is to check your body thoroughly for the presence of deer ticks when coming in after being out in the yard. Deer ticks are so small that you can't rely on the presence of pain as an indicator that you've been bitten; most victims are not immediately aware that they've been bitten by a deer tick. In addition to scanning your own body for deer ticks, you'll have to check the bodies of your dogs and cats. The deer ticks, by the way, are only the carriers of the disease. The true culprit is a spirochete bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to farm animals, cats, dogs and humans through deer-tick bites.
Lyme disease is sometimes misspelled as "lime" disease. But the disease has nothing to do with the sour lime fruit. Instead, it is named after the town of Lyme, Connecticut (USA). Lyme disease received its name in 1977 when arthritis was found in a number of children in the vicinity of that charming town on the banks of the Connecticut River.
The deer tick (Ixodes dammini) is the type of tick responsible for the majority of cases of Lyme disease in the northeastern United States, the "birthplace" of Lyme disease. But other types of ticks are carriers in other regions. There are three stages in a deer tick's life cycle: larva, nymph and adult. In both the larval stage and the nymphal stage, the favorite host sought by deer ticks is the white-footed mouse. It is the adult deer ticks that feed on their namesakes, the white-tailed deer. But a different host is used by deer ticks at each stage of their life cycle.
Taking Preventive Measures Against Lyme Disease: Deer-Proof Plants
If you're concerned about catching Lyme disease, but don't want to go through the annoyance of scouring yourself from head to foot daily, checking for deer ticks, the logical choice is to try to keep deer away. One way to achieve this is to stick with a landscape plan consisting of deer-proof plants -- specimens that deer don't find appetizing -- the subject of Page 2....
