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Do Deer Eat Cucumbers? (Read This First!)

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Cucumbers are among some of the most popular vegetables among animals and birds. But these vegetables have quite thorny vines. So do they interest deers?

Do deers eat cucumbers? And under which circumstances will they eat this vegetable? We will address these questions in this article. So read ahead to learn more about the food habits of deers and whether they eat cucumbers. 

Do deer eat cucumbers?

Deers do not eat cucumbers. They do not prefer eating these vegetables as cucumbers are quite thorny and come with hairy peels. So cucumbers are not quite palatable for deers. But deers will eat these vegetables if there is a shortage of natural food supply in the area. 

Deers are quite choosy about their food. They do not indulge in anything. They will carefully observe their food before picking it up for a bite. So if you’re someone who takes care of deers, you should be careful about what you serve them as food. 

They will not even touch the food if it doesn’t appear appealing to them. 

Deers do not like vegetables that are thorny and have thick skin. So they do not enjoy eating cucumbers. Deers will not bite on a cucumber unless they are running out of food. 

Also, note that deers are animals of habit. They will need to get habituated with the food before indulging in it. So if they see a cucumber for the first time, there is no way that they will eat it. 

Cucumber plants:

Deers do not eat cucumber plants. Deers tend to avoid plants that are thorny. So naturally, they are not drawn to cucumber plants. 

Cucumber leaves:

Deers do not eat cucumber leaves. It is widely believed that cucumber leaves are toxic to deers. So they do not go near a cucumber plant. These leaves are not palatable to deers. 

Cucumber peels:

Deers do not eat cucumber peels. Cucumber peels are thick and sometimes pretty strong in taste. Deers are not a fan of strong taste, smell, or texture. So they do not enjoy eating cucumber peels. 

Cucumber vines:

Deers do not eat cucumber vines. Cucumber vines are root vegetables. Deers do not like root vegetables. So they will not come near a cucumber vine unless there is a food crisis in the area. 

Do deer like cucumbers?

Deers do not like cucumbers. They do not like any vegetable that is thorny and has a strong scent or texture, for that matter. So deers are naturally opposed to cucumbers. 

In addition, deers do not like root vegetables. That is, they do not like any vegetable that requires digging. 

However, if there is a shortage of natural food in the area, deers may consider eating any vegetable that they can come across. In that case, they will even eat a cucumber. This is an unusual circumstance as deers eat a wide range of vegetables, fruits, and flowers. 

So it is unlikely that your area does not host enough food for deers. Yet, if such a situation should arise, you will be able to protect your cucumber plant with safety nets and natural deer repellents. You will also find many commercial deer repellent sprays in the market. 

Are cucumbers toxic to deer?

No, cucumbers are not toxic to deers. They just do not like to eat these vegetables. Deers are generally not drawn to vegetables that are thorny. In addition, cucumbers have a potent smell that repels deers. 

Deers do not like eating vegetables that have a strong smell, flavor, or texture. Since cucumbers meet all these criteria, deers are not drawn to cucumbers. They will avoid cucumbers when there is an abundance of alternative food. 

However, if there is a shortage of alternative food for deers, they will consider eating a cucumber. Since cucumbers are not toxic to deers, they will not cause them any harm. 

However, it is believed that the leaves of cucumbers may be somewhat toxic to deers. If they eat the leaves of cucumbers, it may cause a reaction in their body. So deers always avoid the leaves of cucumbers, even if they consider eating the vegetable. 

2 reasons why deer will not eat cucumbers

Let’s take a look at the reasons why deers will not eat cucumbers. Read ahead to figure out the underlying reasons why deers do not consider cucumber as a food: 

Strong flavor and texture: 

Deers are generally not drawn to cucumbers because these vegetables have a strong taste, smell, as well as texture. They will not consider cucumber as a food because of these reasons. 

Cucumbers are sometimes very bland in flavor. But there are many variants of cucumbers that have a strong sour taste. Deers are generally repelled by cucumbers because of this taste. 

In addition, these vegetables have a strong texture which repels deers. 

Root vegetables: 

Deers avoid root vegetables. Since cucumbers are root vegetables, deers will not eat cucumbers. They do not like any vegetables that need to be eaten by digging them out of the ground. 

Cucumbers feature creeping vines and grow in the roots of the plant. So deers do not eat this vegetable unless they are forced to. 

Thorny: 

Cucumbers are thorny vegetables. These vegetables feature thorns in their spines. While it is no cause for alarm, both for deers and humans, it still bothers the deers. 

Deers do not eat cucumbers because of their thorns. Also, note that deers do not eat other vegetables that have thorns as well. 

Are cucumbers deer resistant?

No cucumbers are not deer resistant in general. But deers do not interest them. Deers will avoid cucumbers for a few reasons. 

Deers do not like cucumbers in general. These vegetables are thorny and have a strong taste. They do not enjoy the fact that they will have to dig cucumbers out of the ground, as cucumbers are root vegetables. So they avoid this vegetable altogether. 

In addition, cucumbers have leaves that are somewhat poisonous to deers. The leaves of cucumbers upset their stomach. So deers do not prefer going near a cucumber plant. 

Cucumbers are root vegetables that feature a thorny vine on top of the vegetable. So deers are repelled by the thorns. They will not go near a cucumber plant unless they absolutely have to. If there is a serious food crisis in the region, only in that case deers will go near a cucumber plant. 

How do I keep deer from eating my cucumbers?

If you notice that there is a food shortage in your area and the deers have caught an interest in your cucumber plants, you will need to take action in order to protect your plant. 

Let’s now take a look at the steps that you should take in order to keep deer from eating your cucumbers. Read ahead to learn more: 

Place bar soaps around the cucumber plant: 

Once you notice that deers are starting to take an interest in your cucumber plant, you should place soap bars around the plant. These soaps will repel deers from the plant. 

Deers are an animal of habit. They will not approach anything that is unfamiliar to them. Bar soaps fall under this category, they are not accustomed to it. So bar soaps will repel deers from your garden. 

Place human hair around the garden: 

Deers are also repelled by human hair. Deers are not accustomed to human hair and it is an object that is unfamiliar to them. So deers will not approach your garden if you place a handful of human hair around the edge of the garden. 

Make sure that you cover the boundary of your garden with human hair in order to keep them from entering the garden altogether. 

Otherwise, you can also place some human hair around the cucumber plant if you want to keep deers from eating your cucumber plant in particular. It will work all the same. 

Use deer repellent sprays: 

You will find many commercial deer repellent sprays in the market. These sprays are made of a strong scent and flavor that deters deers. 

So you will have to spray these repellents onto the cucumber plant every once in a while in order to repel them from your plant. 

Make sure that you spray the deer repellent spray once every week. This will ensure that deers do not approach your cucumber. It will keep deers from eating your cucumbers. 

Bobbex Deer Repellent Ready-to-Use Deer Deterrent Spray (32 oz.) B550110

Final Thoughts

Deers do not eat cucumbers in general. Cucumbers are root vegetables and their vines are thorny, so under normal circumstances, they will repel deers. However, if there is a serious food crisis in an area where there are many deers, they will consider cucumbers as food.

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