This is interesting, and I was wondering about something along this lines, thanks for the tip!

I have a yard of mostly deer resistant plants, but on my large deck, I have 5 pots of roses I've been trying to keep for 2 years. If I am vigilant about spraying Liquid Deer Fence, the deer mostly stay away, but sometimes my laziness keeps me from spraying.

I have been thinking about putting something on the ground near the deck to see if that would prevent them from walking to the deck. I too had thought about the cattle barriers that I have seen when travelling, those always amazed me.

I hadn't thought of wire mesh. I'll get some this weekend! We have no grass in the yard, but I'll try putting the mesh down over our ground cover growing among a stone path where the deer enter the yard, then will also put some over the mulch near the deck. We too cannot have a fence, we live in a wooded area and have a slope behind our house, and a strange property line would put the fence on our neighbors yard in some parts- he has told us he doesn't want even a temporary fence...

Thanks!
Barbara

Following up: Today I put down the 2"x4" wire mesh on the ground directly at the entrance to where the deer would get to the roses on my deck. I'll update to let everyone know if the deer get to the roses. It may take awhile, I did just recently spray with the roses with liquid deer fence spray, and that keeps them away for awhile, although the roses will be in bloom in another couple of weeks, and I swear they smell the rose scent from miles away!

Barbara

Another update: I put the wire mesh down yesterday (see above post). I think it was a beacon for the deer. I arrived home today to find that the roses have been defoliated! This year they are going at it full blast. Last year spraying with Liquid Deer fence worked, this year obviously not. And, what can I say, the deer around here didn't care about the wire on the ground!

I am now looking to plant something else in the pots...

Barbara

I have rose bushes, echinacea, wood aster (supposed to look like "snow in Sept."), liatris, great blue lobelia and peonies encircled in 4' high cages. The deer either reach down into the cages (no tops) or rip them out of the ground (staples and all) to get to these plants.

I expect trouble with rose bushes but not with others that are on all the "deer resistant" lists that the deer never read.

They plucked every peony bloom right off the plants.

Thought they were supposed to be fool proof when it came to deer.

If the deer don't get a plant I can be reasonably sure the rabbits or "stinking moving shag carpet" (groundhogs) will get them sooner or later.

This is all in a residential neighborhood that backs up to a farm and a narrow strip of state owned "open space" land.

Too many deer and not enough food...except what I plant.

Gets progressively worse each year and this year is a real bummer.

My next move is to put another 3' of fencing on top of the 4' fence circles. I'll twist tie them together so I can easily access plants for maintenance and hope longer earth staples work. They've developed a taste for garlic and mint so none of the sprays work any more.

Sound cheerful, huh? Not...but I'm not giving up on seeing something bloom after all the work it took to grow, plant and maintain these plants. I fully realize it's starting to look like a plant gulag around the house but I'm not ready to throw in the towel. Close but not there yet.

I thought Sue's suggestion was my salvation but then Barbara's experience put an end to that. I will put up my 4 foot fence around my fruit trees and put my black lab inside. If the deer want to jump the fence and play with my dog their welcome to do so. Even a well antlered buck might decide not to fight.
Dan

I know this is old but maybe it will help. I tried using the theory and laid my barrier like a plank. Their hooves will go down between the holes they have trouble walking, It has to be up off the ground about a foot.

You cannot lay it flat on the ground it has to be raised. I watched them step on it trip and fall. One went limping away the others followed.

If you have ever gotten your heel or shoe caught down in a grate you understand this method.

I placed 6-8" logs under the fence wire Sue mentioned, spaced every 10-15 feet, then inside this I placed 80 lb test monofiliment line about 18- 24" off the ground. Unfortunately my border is incomplete, although something broke the monofiliment in one spot it didn't come through the gap in the fence, as the break is in a protected area.
Has anyone tried spraying their plants with Bordeaux mixture? I understand it has an unpleasant taste, at least as far as humans are concerned. It was used in Europe to prevent people from stealing fruit, before its anti-fungal properties were discovered.
Dan