You’ve probably asked yourself “Do deer eat watermelons” if you have some of the juicy fruit planted in your garden. As the water content of the fruit is 92 percent, making it a perfect source of hydration for the animal, the answer is yes; deer do eat watermelons.
For animals such as deer, the fruit is also an ideal food source, and the melon scent quickly draws them towards it.
Read this guide if you’re interested in learning more about deer damage to watermelon and are worried about it, as we will provide all the relevant details regarding deer, their penchant for the fruit, and some crucial advice for solving the issue.
Contents
Do Deer Consume Watermelon?
Yes, deer consume watermelon because they are delicious and jam-packed with nutritional benefits that are good for the animal and can help them thrive. The vitamins A and C and the minerals potassium and magnesium can be found in high concentrations in watermelons.
Lycopene, a potent antioxidant, is also found in significant amounts, making it a superfood for animals such as deer.
– When Deer Eat Watermelons
Even though there are a variety of other foods available, deer will typically consume watermelon during the summer, when it is in season.
The consumption of watermelon may provide the animals with the necessary boost to maintain peak physical condition if the native vegetation does not provide an adequate amount of these essential substances. The deer will likely be more willing to sample a watermelon if it is currently in season and abundant fruit is available.
On the other hand, they might avoid it altogether if there aren’t enough of them or the season isn’t right. Some species of deer are more likely than others to consume watermelon, and some don’t appear to have any interest in the fruit; it also depends on where the melon is located.
– Watermelons in Fields
Compared to watermelons grown in other locations, deer are more likely to consume those grown in fields or near densely wooded areas. When animals can get a good look at potential threats from a distance, they experience a sense of increased safety.
When living in the wild, deer frequently seek freshwater sources to quench their thirst. On the other hand, it is well known that they enjoy consuming fruits and vegetables with a high proportion of water content, such as watermelons.
Consuming foods high in water helps keep them cool down and provides essential nutrients, but it is not their primary source of hydration. However, it benefits their overall health.
– Watermelon Rind
Do deer eat watermelon rind? The answer is yes. They consume watermelons and numerous other fruit rinds. Deer consume ripe watermelons in particular, which can spoil a harvest. They puncture the watermelon rind and consume the juicy meat within.
How Can You Prevent Deer From Eating Your Watermelons?
To prevent deer from eating your watermelons, you can try building a high fence around your garden, using garlic to ward them off, placing human hair around the area, setting up garden or deer netting, using motion deterrents, or creating a scarecrow or an owl made of plastic.
Deer love watermelons, in particular, and their consumption can wreck an otherwise successful crop. They pierce the rind of the watermelon to get at the sweet meat inside. You can take a few steps to prevent deer from ravaging your watermelon patch if you are getting sick of deer eating your crop. Give these hints a shot.
– Build a High Fence
Install a fence around your watermelons so that deer won’t be able to jump over and the fruit won’t get eaten. Consider installing an electric fence as an additional layer of defense.
Sometimes, deer can leap over a fence, so the most crucial step in ensuring they fail is to conceal their view of the landing area. If they cannot locate a safe place to cross over on the other side of the wall, deer will never attempt to jump it.
A good plan is to utilize two parallel fences 4 to 5 feet in height and are spaced 3 feet apart. In addition to this, you could wrap each plant in chicken wire, netting, or mesh. Bear in mind that your plants can grow higher than the netting, which may require you to adjust to it in the future.
– Use Garlic Around
Garlic has a pungent odor that repels deer, so try planting some of it around your melon garden. As an alternative method, garlic and water can be sprayed directly onto the plants. Be careful not to get garlic syrup on the fruit, which will alter the flavor. You could also mix garlic and pepper or use human scents.
– Place Human Hair Around
The presence of human hair is yet another factor that deer avoid. Gather some from your brush or the barber’s and tie it around the base of each plant to secure it. The odor will be effective in warding off deer.
– Alternate Between Repellents
Although many people believe that deer are immune to the effects of repellents, this is not the case. It is not so much the repellent itself as how it is applied. Alternating between different repellents is something we recommend doing because deer can quickly become accustomed to one.
By switching things up regularly, you can throw them off their game and reduce the likelihood that they will eat from your watermelon garden. You can either buy insect repellents or make your own at home. For example, the highly concentrated urine of one of their natural enemies, such as a fox or a coyote, can be very effective.
– Avoid Frequent Fertilizers
Because fertilizers based on nitrogen are attractive to deer, you should only use them when necessary. In addition, whenever you apply these products, ensure that you cover the plants with nets or mesh to prevent the deer from feeding on them.
– Sidetracking
If you are willing to give up a portion of your land, you can cultivate a section of your property with edible plants so that the animals will leave your other plants alone.
You can also use plants that are unpleasant to the taste all around the outside of your property to deter them, but you should keep in mind that they will most likely consume the plants at some point in the future.
Therefore, it is best to sacrifice whatever you plant in that area or to use other deterrents in conjunction with the plants you put there. You can discourage deer from browsing your garden by planting deer resistant plants such as yarrow, boxwood, barberry, hollies, azalea, spirea, Shasta, or iris.
– Place Garden or Deer Netting
If the netting is set up correctly, it will prevent deer from entering the area. However, if you erect it the same way you would a fence, they can quickly scale it. Instead of serving as a fence, it would be more appropriate to put it on top of the garden.
– Use Motion Deterrents
You can also try scaring them away with motion-activated deterrents. When deer come close to your property, a few of these technological devices will make a noise, others will have lights that flash on and off, and others will spray water in their path.
It is common knowledge that deer are skittish animals; as a result, the mere presence of loud noises or a lot of activity can cause them to flee.
So a sprinkler with a motion detector may do the trick. When they sense something moving in front of them, the sprinklers, activated by motion, spray water into the air.
Because deer are easily startled by sudden movements and loud noises, as soon as the sprinkler starts up, they will be on their way out of there as quickly as possible.
– Use a Scarecrow or an Owl Made of Plastic
The presence of a fake predator in the area can help keep the deer at least somewhat aware of their surroundings. Even though this won’t prevent them from devouring an entire watermelon, it will help discourage deer when combined with other deterrents like red cat eyes or potent odors.
What Other Plants Do Deer Like To Eat?
Other plants that deer like to eat include cantaloupe plants, pumpkins, which are their favorite food, and honeydew melon, among others. Deer enjoy eating fruits and vegetables that will provide them not only with food, but also necessary liquids such as water.
Do deer eat cucumbers? Root vegetables, which require them to dig for their nutrients, as well as prickly vegetables like cucumbers and squashes with hairy leaves, are typically avoided by deer. Deer will avoid eating pungent plants like onions, garlic, and fennel because of their strong odors as well.
Will deer eat cantaloupe plants? The answer, in a word, is yes. Melons, such as cantaloupes, are a favorite food for deer to crack open and consume. This is especially the case when the fruits have reached their full maturity.
Cantaloupes are an excellent source of water and nutrients necessary for deer survival, and they are also simpler to digest and supply the body with an abundance of essential nutrients.
Will deer eat pumpkins? Pumpkins, of which various portions can be consumed, are a favorite food of deer. There are also seeds, blossoms, and the fleshy part of the rind in addition to the seeds. The insides of pumpkins are the part of the pumpkin that deer enjoy eating the most.
Do deer eat honeydew melon? Yes, deer like the sweetness of the fresh honeydew melon, which is light and pleasant, and its flavor is delicate for the animal.
FAQ
– Do Deer Eat Watermelon Rind?
Yes, deer eat watermelon rinds. Apart from deer, squirrels eat watermelon rinds, nuts, vegetables, and fruit. They will consume practically any kind of fruit, including the rind and the flesh. The fact that deer and squirrels enjoy eating fruits and vegetables makes them a problem for farmers.
– Do Rabbits Eat Watermelons?
Yes, rabbits eat watermelon plants. Rabbits adore garden plants and food. One of the foods that they will consume is watermelon fruit, which means that you may find that rabbits have been nibbling at the fruit and watermelon vine in your garden.
– Do Raccoons Eat Watermelons?
Yes, raccoons eat watermelons after the fruit has reached full ripeness. However, the damage these animals cause is not as severe as the harm coyotes cause. They puncture holes in the rind and scoop out or chew some of the meat inside, but they do not swallow a whole melon.
Conclusion
Having read this complete guide, you now know that deer and a few other animals love to feast on the rind and juicy flesh of the watermelon fruit.
Here is a quick synopsis of this guide in the section below.
- Watermelons are an excellent source of vital nutrients that are beneficial to the health and well-being of deer.
- The animal enjoys the fruit contained within a melon as it does not cause them any harm.
- The high water content of watermelon fruit makes it so appealing to hungry deer. Deer need to stay hydrated to keep their energy levels up, so eating watermelon can help them do just that.
- If you find watermelons growing in your garden, consider using one of the methods listed above to discourage deer from eating your fruits.
- Use repellents, pungent odors, fences and net trapping to keep the animals at bay.
Now that you know watermelon fruit is a favorite of the deer, you can take adequate measures to keep them away. You can keep the watermelon vines intact without having the animal bite into them or cause extensive damage.
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