Deer, being a fruit-lover, almost eat every type of food they can get! If you have seen a deer eating or have hunted a deer, you already know the facts about deer. Among all the fruits, deer tend to love apples the most. And this is why you will see deer around the apple trees most.
But that doesn’t mean deer don’t eat other fruits. So, can deer eat cherries? Do deer harm cherry trees too? Well, let’s learn about it!
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Do Deer Love Cherries?
Among pears, crab apples, peaches, persimmons, and other such fruits, deer tend to love cherries too. So, if see a flock of deer being around a cheery tree, you must understand that they are there to feed their stomach.
Cherry with Cherry Trees
Well, as we have already told you, deer love cherries, and cherry trees are not safe too! Yes, a deer will not only eat these red little fruits but they will go for the tree too. The cherry trees are one of their favorite diets.
If you take a look at the citrus tree, you will see that these develop thorns. As a result, when an animal such as the deer tries to get near these trees, they get hurt by the thorns. This is what keeps them away from citrus trees.
However, a cherry tree isn’t like that. These trees have tender leaves and deer love them. Along with this, they settle for the bark too. When they are hungry, they almost eat any type of leaves and blossoms. While fruits are their favorite, they can eat off the bark of some trees such as the cherry tree.
However, when the trees are large and strong, they cannot eat them properly. This is why they go for the small cherry trees. They especially love the cherry tree barks when the trees are still young,
Young cherry trees or any other trees have thin bark. Also, the leaves are tender and easier to eat for them. As a result, they opt for these trees with the fruits.
How to save Cherry Tree from a Deer?
When deer love cherry and the cherry tree both- if you are living in an area where there are so many deer, the tree might not be safe. But you cannot let the deer have all the cherries you have planted with the tree too, right?
This is why you need to find a way to safeguard them. Here, we have a method on how you can protect the cherries of your tree and the entire tree from the deer that lurks around.
The best thing you can do is create a boundary. Fencing the trees is the most reliable method of protecting them from deer or any other animal that loves vegetation.
Especially, for the first 2-4 years of the tree, you must guard it with a proper fence. And when the tree will grow stronger, the deer or other animals won’t be able to do much harm.
For fencing, settle for the conventional 8 feet wire fences. These fences work incredibly against the deer and are proven to keep them away.
Such fences are designed of two widths, each of 4 feet. Once you have protected the area with fences, the deer will not come near the fruit or the tree.
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Final words
Deer, as an animal, is cute and all but that doesn’t mean they will think twice before running for the cherry trees in your front yard. If you love deer, you can plan on feeding them cherries and small cherry tree leaves and barks too. But when they are around your house, you must protect the trees too!