Last updated on September 3rd, 2022
Deer are a common sight in the spring and summer months, especially when strawberries are plentiful and plump. Being creatures of habit, they prefer the same food sources, but do deer eat strawberries?
Deer do eat strawberries because the fruit isn’t toxic to them and is an excellent source of vitamins and antioxidants. However, they’re not only attracted to the fruit’s sweet taste but will also eat the leaves of the plant which can cause serious damage to them.
Why do deer eat strawberries?
Deer are herbivorous creatures and opportunistic feeders. They will look for food wherever they find it.
When it comes to strawberries, deer seem to love eating these plants because the leaves and stems are pretty soft.
Moreover, the fruit is also quite sweet, which makes it attractive to the creature.
This makes strawberries quite delicious for deer and you will find that they can consume the strawberry plant’s leaves, stems, and fruit to satiate their appetite.
Do deer eat strawberries growing in the wild?
According to the website, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/strawberry/growing-wild-strawberries.htm, many people consider wild strawberries to be a weed and different from the hybrid variety that you can purchase from the stores.
But if you are planning to plant wild strawberries among your strawberry plants to ward off deer from attacking the edible strawberries, you are mistaken.
Deer are known to eat strawberries in the wild. The delicate leaves and stems of the wild strawberry plant are pretty attractive to the deer.
Are strawberries healthy for deer?
Strawberries are healthy for deer especially when they’re ripe but can cause digestion issues for them when the fruit is consumed green.
The primary reason why strawberries are healthy for deer is that they are rich in Vitamin C which is necessary to build a healthy immune system.
Moreover, deer love to eat strawberries, forming a part of their regular diet, primarily when they are bred in captivity.
How to know if deer are eating your strawberries?
One of the best ways to identify whether deer are eating your strawberries is to catch the creature in the act.
If you find a deer eating strawberries as I did, you can be assured that the creature will be back again to eat the rest of the plant.
The second thing that you will notice if deer are eating your strawberries is that the creature will eat not just the fruit but the leaves and the stem of the plant while leaving a few bite marks here and there.
This is unlike most other animals that eat strawberries.
Should you eat the fruits of a strawberry plant that a deer has eaten?
You should avoid eating the fruits of a strawberry plant that has been attacked by animals.
Don’t harvest the fruits and then leave them for the season. You can harvest the fruits again the following season.
Are there deer-resistant strawberries?
There is no particular variety of strawberries that are deer resistant.
If you are looking for a method to protect your strawberry plants, then you should surround these with hedges of plants that a deer would avoid.
If you add plants like Mexican sage, lavender, mints, thyme, onion, foxglove, ferns, forget me not, or cone flower to create deer-resistant hedges around your strawberry plants.
But there are no particular species of strawberry plants that are deer resistant, only deer-resistant plants that you can place around the strawberry plant.
Is there any deer repellent available to protect strawberry plants?
If you want to protect your strawberry plants, one way to do it is to use deer repellents.
Deer usually avoid the smell of eggs, and eggs are not harmful to the strawberry plants so you can make a mixture of eggs and water and spray it on your strawberry plants just not on the fruit if you intend on picking it soon.
What is the best way to protect strawberry plants from deer attacks?
If you are an amateur gardener like me and you are trying your hand at planting strawberries, then you must protect the young plants from deer attacks.
As per the website https://homeguides.sfgate.com/deer-eat-strawberry-plants-57794.html, one of the best ways to keep deer from attacking your strawberry plants would be to build a fence around your plants.
This will prevent the creature from reaching your strawberry plants thereby protecting your strawberry harvest.
Can electric fences be installed to keep deer away?
The first thing that you need to understand is whether there are any zoning restrictions regarding the installation of electric fences.
The primary reason is electric fences are pretty painful for the animals. In addition, electric fences act as a deterrent, and deer usually learn to avoid the fences.
But if a deer tries to go beneath it or climb above it, the charge in the fence can hurt the creature.
Therefore, you must check the zoning requirements and the regulations before installing it.
Will deer keep coming back to your garden for strawberry plants?
Deer have an excellent memory, and they are pretty good foragers.
They can remember where they last grazed and found suitable food.
Therefore, if your garden has a suitable quantity of strawberries, then the deer will keep coming back to finish all the plants.
Strawberries are one of the favorite foods of deer, and ripe ones are attractive to the creature.
So, unless you take preventive measures to keep deer out of your garden, the creatures will keep coming back.
How do deer locate strawberry plants?
Deer also have excellent olfactory senses, and strawberry plants exude a sweet smell, especially when the fruits ripen.
When the fruits in your garden are ready to be harvested, you will find that most creatures are attracted to the plants.
Deer, with their excellent olfactory senses, can quickly identify the location of the strawberry plants.
Once the deer has identified the location of the strawberry plants, it will eat the plants will absolute joy!
Can strawberry plants survive after a deer attack?
This will depend on the extent of damage that the plant has suffered.
If the deer has wholly chewed down the plant to the roots, then chances are there that plant will not survive.
However, if the deer have eaten only a few leaves and shoots of the plant and you have managed to save the plant from subsequent attacks, then you can save the plant.
It would help if you put up deterrents to protect the plant, and you will find that your strawberry plant has begun to thrive.
