How to Keep Deer From Eating Arborvitae | Fencing That Works

A 6-foot wire fence or burlap barrier is the only method that reliably stops deer from eating arborvitae; chemical repellents can help but often fail in freezing weather and when deer are desperate.

One morning you look out the window and your arborvitae has been stripped from the ground up to browse line. Deer do this every winter, and the damage can kill a mature shrub within two seasons. The hard truth is that no spray works every time. The solution that actually ends the problem is a physical barrier, and the options below cover every budget and yard layout without the fluff.

Why Deer Target Arborvitae in Winter

Arborvitae stay green through the coldest months, which makes them the only fresh food source in a deer’s winter landscape. When snow covers grass and other forage, deer turn to your shrubs out of necessity. A hungry deer will eat any arborvitae variety you plant, including “deer-resistant” types like Green Giant or Steeplechase — resistance just means it’s not the first choice, not that it’s safe.

Damage peaks between Christmas and early spring. That is the window when physical protection matters most, and when most people realize they waited too long.

What Works: Physical Barriers That Actually Stop Deer

Deer will not leap into a space they cannot see a safe landing for. A fence or barrier that blocks their view of the ground on the other side stops them cold.

Wire Fencing — The Gold Standard

A welded-wire fence 6 feet tall, secured to the ground with stakes, is the permanent solution. Use black welded wire rather than plastic deer netting, which landscaping professionals consistently report breaks within one season and collects debris that weighs it down. The fence must be tight to the ground — deer will crawl under a gap of 8 inches or more.

For individual shrubs, surround the plant with wooden posts and wrap wire around them. Leave 2 to 3 inches of space between the wire and the plant so the barrier does not press against the branches and trap moisture.

Burlap Barriers — Winter Protection Without Full Fencing

Burlap wrapped correctly creates a windbreak and blocks the deer’s line of sight. The University of Vermont Extension warns against one common mistake: do not wrap burlap tightly around an individual plant. Tight wrapping traps ice and moisture against the foliage, which leads to fungal disease and branch dieback.

The correct method is to surround the shrub with wooden stakes and drape burlap over the stakes, forming a barrier on the south, southwest, and windward sides. Leave the top open so air and light still reach the plant. This gives your arborvitae winter protection without suffocating it.

Plastic Deer Netting — Use With Caution

Black biasurity mesh with 3/4-inch holes is the one plastic netting product that works, but only if it is anchored to the ground and kept taut enough to touch the shrub. Loose plastic fencing is ineffective because deer push through it. The mesh is barely visible from a distance, which is the main reason people choose it, but welded wire lasts years longer for about the same upfront cost.

Chemical Repellents: When They Help and When They Don’t

Repellents work best as a second layer of defense on shrubs that are already fenced, or in yards where deer pressure is light. They push deer “down the list” of preferred foods rather than eliminating the threat entirely. In freezing temperatures, most egg-based and garlic-based sprays wash off or lose their smell, which is why they fail for many homeowners.

If you do use repellents, our tested roundup of deer repellents for arborvitae compares which brands hold up longest in winter conditions. The table above covers the main categories, but the link has exact ratings from hands-on use.

The One DIY Recipe Landscapers Actually Use

A homeowner on a Zone 6 garden forum shared a DIY spray that local landscapers have used for years: one gallon of water, one tablespoon of canola oil, one tablespoon of liquid shrimp boil concentrate, and one beaten egg. Mix well and spray directly on the foliage. Apply it monthly starting around Christmas through early spring.

This recipe works because the egg and shrimp boil create a rotten smell that deer associate with predators. The canola oil helps the mixture stick to the leaves through light rain. It is not a cure-all — hungry deer will still eat through it — but it costs pennies per batch and keeps deer from browsing casually.

How to Apply Plantskydd the Right Way

Plantskydd is the most commonly recommended commercial repellent, but it fails if you apply it wrong. The dried blood powder must be mixed with warm water until it forms a foamy, red slurry. Use a texture sprayer set to a medium-fine mist — a standard garden sprayer clogs immediately because the solids are too thick. Cover all sides of the shrub lightly; heavy application wastes product without improving results. The critical rule: no rain or freezing temperatures for the 24 hours after application. If a freeze comes that night, the treatment slides off and you start over.

How Often to Apply

Fall and winter applications need repeating every 4 to 8 weeks. Any rain or snow melt that washes the spray off counts as a reset — reapply the next dry day. Consistent homeowners who reapply on schedule see better results than those who spray once and hope.

Three Common Mistakes That Ruin Your Protection

Tight-wrapping burlap. Burlap pressed directly against branches traps moisture against the foliage all winter. That trapped moisture causes fungal infections and kills branches just as effectively as deer browsing. Always leave space between the barrier and the plant.

Using plastic deer fencing alone. Landscapers report that standard plastic deer netting breaks under snow load, clogs with windblown leaves, and becomes a tangled mess by February. Wire fencing costs more upfront but does not need replacement every spring.

Relying on repellents in a deep freeze. Egg sprays and dried blood products stop working when temperatures stay below freezing for days. The active ingredients freeze on the surface and lose their odor. If your area sees extended freezes, plan on fencing from the start.

What To Do First: A Decision Checklist

Walk out to your arborvitae right now and check the browse line. If the lower branches are already stripped, the damage happened last winter and the deer will return. Here is the action plan in order of effectiveness:

1. Install a 6-foot welded-wire fence around the most valuable shrubs. This is the only permanent answer.
2. Wrap burlap barriers on the south and windward sides of shrubs you cannot fence. Leave the top open and the fabric loose.
3. Apply a dried-blood repellent as your secondary defense, but only if you have a 24-hour window without rain or freeze.
4. Reapply every 4 weeks through spring. Mark it on your calendar — missed reapplications are the main reason repellents fail.

Do not wait until you see damage again. Deer browse starts when the first snow covers the ground, and by the time you notice the missing foliage, the shrub has already lost structural branches it may never regrow.