Bye-bye deer!!!

[shlacm]

The deer ate my tomatoes... apparently they LOVE green tomatoes! So I just got back from the "farm" store with my electric fence supplies - I figured I would enjoy it SOOOO much more than a plain fence! What's the best way to bait the fence?

[Mischka]

I have several electric fences running here; both to guard my gardens and to keep predators away from my geese, goat, sheep and peafowl pens. They are more effective than any other control I've tried. Baiting for carnivorous predators is fairly easy; wrap several strips of bacon along the wires and you're done. Baiting for those herbivorous marauding deer isn't as easy, though.

Take an apple and cut it into wedges. Do not peel it, since the scent is strongest in the skin. I use one of those apple wedger/corers that core and cut in one push, to speed things up.

Take a wedge of apple and place it in the center of a 3" x 3" square of aluminum foil. Fold the foil in half, wrapping the wedge loosely. You don't want to seal the scent in. Repeat for the rest of the wedges and the core piece, too. Poke a few pin holes in the foil to help the scent escape.

Wrap the edge of the foil-packed apples around a strand of wire on the fence. Be sure to place these fairly close together on your fence; about a foot apart. The more you use of these, the better your chances the deer will be attracted to them.

You can also use peanut butter in place of the apple, or in combination with it to double your chances of teaching the deer a lesson. There's no need to wrap the peanut butter; just spread it on a square of foil. Deer tend to avoid anything with strong human scent on it, so be sure to wear some type of gloves when handling the bait.

Here's another tip for increasing your chances of repelling the deer from your garden. Deer can easily jump over anything 6' or lower, so you should try to have the top strand of wire at least 6' off the ground. I use a total of six strands of wire on my fences here, the lowest being 4" above the ground to keep out smaller animals, like skunk, rabbits, etc.

The most important thing you must do when installing your electric fence is to make sure it is grounded properly!! I can't stress this enough. This is the number one reason why electric fences fail. You must use at least one ground rod and drive it into the soil a minimum of four feet. The deeper you drive it, the better your fence will operate. I use three ground rods for each of my fence energizers, spaced three feet apart and driven 6' deep into the soil. They are connected in series to each other and then to the negative post on the fence energizer.

If you don't ground the fence energizer properly it will not deliver an effective shock, completely wasting both your time and money spent to install it. There are no shortcuts when it comes to grounding your electric fence...take the time required to do it right the first time.

One last thing and this is important, too. Make certain that your electric fence ground rods are at least 50 feet away from any utility ground rods on your property. All homes have at least one, so please be sure to find yours before you drive your ground rod(s).

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

[shlacm]

Well, now I have LOTS of questions, lol!!!

I suppose I'll have to contact the utility dept. to find out where theirs are located? Which might be an issue because I don't know if the fence is even legal! Do I have to use 6ft copper poles, or are there alternatives? I'm only going to do 2-3 strands around a SMALL garden, would 1 ground be sufficient?

And, NOW I have removed my not-very-effective-deer-barrier, how will I ever get all of this figured out TODAY?!?!?!

[mjc]

What is the length of the perimeter of the area you are going to fence?

If it is less than 1300 ft one ground rod should be sufficient, unless you have particularly dry or sandy soil.

Yes, a copper ground rod (or copper clad one) is what you would use...there aren't really any alternatives.

If you live within city limits/HOA/subdivision/etc you may be correct about the legality of the fence...but basically, if you are outside of city zoning/HOA control you should be fine. If you can keep livestock on your property, you should be able to use an electric fence to keep critters out, as well as in...

[shlacm]

Thanks, it will be MUCH less than 1300 ft... maybe 100ft!

I wish there was some way to find out if it is legal... I am inside city limits (not that the deer seem to care), but there are no HOAs in my neighborhood.

I have called "Miss Utility" to come mark the utility lines... this is getting complicated, lol. Now I need a copper pole and a clamp and insulated wire...

[Mischka]

Don't worry about the legality of your fence unless you live in a tightly-packed residential area. Even then, the only laws against them that I've been able to research are in states west of the Mississippi.

Your home electricity service should be grounded somewhere close to the point of entry, near where your fuse box/breaker panel is located. In old homes, there may even be a ground clamp on your incoming iron water pipe, although this is no longer an acceptable practice in most states.

There are two types of fence ground rods. One is copper-plated steel and the other is galvanized steel. The copper-plated type have a slight advantage over the galvanized type, in terms of conductivity. Driven deep enough, either type will serve the purpose sufficiently.

The depth that they are driven is very important, as I said in my earlier post. Depending on soil moisture and mineralization levels, some drier areas out west require them to be driven 8' deep to serve as an effective ground. I live in an area where the soil stays moist enough year-round to drive them 4' deep. It was a bit of a chore though, due to the many rocks that were deposited by the glaciers 10,000 years ago.

You can purchase ground rods in lengths from 3' to 8'. For your part of the country, I believe that a 4' length should suffice. If you have access to a grinding wheel, you can purchase an 8' length, cut it in half and grind the cut end to a point on the top half.

Drive the rod down into the soil, until there's only an inch or two protruding. To avoid creating a sharp mushroom end, place a piece of wood over the rod and strike that to drive it deep into the ground. If your soil is especially rocky, you can also dig a hole 4' deep and backfill it. Make sure to tamp/pack the soil as firm as possible around the rod.

Attach a bronze ground clamp to the top of the rod and connect it to the fence energizer, using a length of thick gauge (12 or lower) bare copper wire. Wire gauge numbers indicate thickness; the lower the number, the thicker the wire. This can be purchased at any hardware or big-box home improvement store. Be sure to secure the ground clamp very tightly to both the wire and rod.

Before I go any further, I have a couple of questions for you.

1. What is the joule rating for your fence energizer? If you can't find the joule rating listed on the energizer, just give me the make and model and mile rating and I can look it up.

2. What type of wire are you planning to use to surround your garden?

3. What type of insulators and posts are you using?

[shlacm]

Wow, what a wealth of information, THANK YOU! I do live in a densely packed residential area... but that's by my standards. Found out recently that the outlets in a neighbor's house weren't even grounded, what does that tell you?!?! Wouldn't be surprised if ours aren't either, the neighborhood is pretty old. The first week we were here the line that carries electricity into our house caught on fire 'cause it was too small (according to the firemen, all of them are around here unless they've been replaced) and electrocuted a nearby tree to death!!!

So, back to your questions, I got the cheapest one I could find... figured it would be sufficient for such a small area! It is a Zareba ACC2 2 mile range 115VAC 60 HZ 1V(dot)A and I got 17 gauge galvanized steel wire. The "unit" is for "indoor use only" (dangit) so I'll have to run insulated wire to the fence. The posts are plastic with little holders all along them... I'm really counting on the baiting to convince the deer to stay clear, 'cause the posts are short and flimsy!

The rocks are going to be a HUGE problem, I seriously doubt that there is a single square inch of ground that goes 4 ft down without hitting rock!

It'll all be worth it to imagine those dang deer nibbling on the fence while I sleep peacefully!!!

[Mischka]

Ok, let's start with your fence energizer. I always recommend that folks purchase the most powerful unit that they can afford. This provides options for future expansion and gives you flexibility for different fence configurations.

That being said, The ACC2 is Zareba's entry level AC-powered model. Zareba manufactures decent quality fence energizers under several names. Unfortunately, they were bought out by Woodstream Corporation back in April. Woodstream manufactures the "Fi-Shock" brand of energizers which are flimsily constructed using cheap components and are considered to be disposable when they fail. Most existing Zareba inventory on store shelves is likely manufactured before the Woodstream takeover, so you should have a quality-built unit.

I've attached their fence planning guide, which should be very helpful in explaining how to install your fence properly and in a manner that will ensure it is effective.

Lastly, here are some common fence energizer terms:

• Amperage – the measurement of electric current; what you feel when you get shocked. The higher the amperage the more intense shock the animal will feel.
• Distance ratings – use to compare fence controllers. Ratings are based on a single strand of 17 gauge steel wire strung 36” above the ground under ideal, weed-free laboratory conditions.
• Joules – measure of electrical energy used to rate low impedance fence controllers. The effective power the controller delivers to the fence, independent of other factors that can drain voltage. The higher the joules, the more intense shock the animal will feel. (1 joule = 1 watt of power for 1 second)
• Low impedance – low impedance controllers increase the joules (energy or shock) on the fence line if weeds or other vegetation touch the line.
• Solid state – delivers medium amperage shock in medium duration pulses.
• Volts – measurement of electrical pressure. Voltage “pushes” amperage down the fence wire.

I will write more on this subject later on today. Right now I have to return a movie to the local Redbox in town and pick up a few supplies. Mrs. M. has a honey-do list for me here that's big enough to choke a horse.

[shlacm]

Really wish I could rename this thread as I'm sure it will be of interest to others!

Thank you again. As for buying the best I can afford... that's basically what I did! Glad to know it's probably a decent one! In fact, it'll probably be a couple days before I can afford the ground rod. But, that's okay since I'm waiting on Miss Utility anyway.

Enjoy the honey-do list. I look forward to any additions you have later on.

[mjc]

The 'legality', in the eastern states, is usually on a municipal level and often varies within the municipality according to zoning. Fortunately, usually, the worst they can do is make you shut it off...or label it.

Yes, even here in WV (hicksville USA) there were local regs regarding the use of electric fences, within city limits...not all residentially zoned areas had the same regs, either...the side of the street my house was on was restrictive...the other side was not as restrictive. But one thing they had in common was that it had to be a temporary type fence and it had to be 'flagged'.

I agree with Mischka on the basic setup and requirements...but disagree on the ground rod length...I think 6' is minimum. Not only does it usually provide better 'shock' value, but it also helps prevent EMI/RFI (electro-magnetic interference/radio frequency interference) from the charger...and the smaller the lot/closer to the house the charger is, the more annoying and likely EMI/RFI are. You can also lay the ground rod in a trench (about 2' down and angled up), but it should be longer...if you would use a 6' driven rod, an 8' trenched rod would be the minimum substitute.

[kygreg]

When using aluminum foil to wrap the bait, if the electricity doesn't deter the deer, I am sure when the aluminum foil comes in contact with the filling in their teeth, that will stop them.

[shlacm]

Originally Posted by Mischka

Your home electricity service should be grounded somewhere close to the point of entry, near where your fuse box/breaker panel is located. In old homes, there may even be a ground clamp on your incoming iron water pipe, although this is no longer an acceptable practice in most states.

So, since the directions say my ground rod must be at least 50 ft away from the electric ground, I don't suppose I can just hijack it and attach my fence to it, huh? I mean, ground is ground! Perhaps my water pipe? JK, I haven't even found that yet... pretty sure I found the electric ground though.

Next question; why can't I just bury a length of wire for ground?

[shlacm]

Originally Posted by mjc

The 'legality', in the eastern states, is usually on a municipal level and often varies within the municipality according to zoning. Fortunately, usually, the worst they can do is make you shut it off...or label it.

Yes, even here in WV (hicksville USA) there were local regs regarding the use of electric fences, within city limits...not all residentially zoned areas had the same regs, either...the side of the street my house was on was restrictive...the other side was not as restrictive. But one thing they had in common was that it had to be a temporary type fence and it had to be 'flagged'.

I agree with Mischka on the basic setup and requirements...but disagree on the ground rod length...I think 6' is minimum. Not only does it usually provide better 'shock' value, but it also helps prevent EMI/RFI (electro-magnetic interference/radio frequency interference) from the charger...and the smaller the lot/closer to the house the charger is, the more annoying and likely EMI/RFI are. You can also lay the ground rod in a trench (about 2' down and angled up), but it should be longer...if you would use a 6' driven rod, an 8' trenched rod would be the minimum substitute.

Great, now we have differing opinions!!!

[mjc]

Most of the laws against using them ARE west of the Mississippi...but east of it, they are around, but usually only locally.

As to the ground rod...I prefer to 'overbuild'...I've had too many problems with EMI/RFI related to electric fences not to (and they weren't MY fences).

[shlacm]

So I finally got my ground rod... all they had was 8'! And now I can't get anything to go more than 8" without hitting rock, grrrr! So, tomorrow I borrow a post hole digger and see what I can do. At this point I'd be thrilled if I can get it 4' underground!

It's a good thing I'm not very good at bein' a "girly girl" 'cause my husband looked at me like I'd lost my mind when I said it had to go at least 4' deep!