Ecnerwal wrote:
....
Electric tops out 42-48" from the ground? Bambi won't even slow down
while sailing right over it. No reason to touch it. Grab some plastic
deer mesh (cheap, works) and run it up to 7 or 8 feet high.

cheap means it doesn't work for long. spend a few extra
and get a good metal woven fence which will last 30-50yrs
if maintained properly. Mom bought some of plastic mesh
fence and it's falling apart and a mess, the rabbits and
groundhogs chew right through it.


If you want
to do electric fence for deer there's a design that angles out which
supposedly causes them to try to crawl through and get zapped, but I
think even that is up 6 feet or more and is kinda annoying to build with
the angled bit. 7-8 feet of black plastic mesh is a bit hard to see and
they tend to bounce off rather than make it over. I have seen orchards
go to 12 feet of 6 inch wire mesh, but that's a whole other kettle of
money.

it's well worth it if done right you'll never have to
replace it (unless you let trees fall on it or vines grow
on it and they'll take it down, or someone runs into it
with the car/lawn mower/tractor/etc.).

8ft is ok here (so far). unfortunately i wasn't with
Mom when she bought the bottom part where it should be
rabbit proof it really isn't. they can climb or get
through (same with groundhogs).

i would have gone for finer mesh to give chipmunks
more of a barrier and eventually i may do that anyways
and put a hot wire along the top of that about 3/4" out
so they have to grab it to try to go over. some bulbs
they won't leave alone and it would be nice to have a
chance at getting an edamame soybean crop without
having to hunt each of them down. the semi-feral
kitty doesn't get all of them.


songbird