Manager

From the

GENERAL MANAGER

MARCH 2010

I saw an interesting sign on the news displayed at a church:

“If you’re praying for snow,

please stop!!!”

SECURITY: If the guard is not at the door of the guard house, please use the card reader to enter the front gate. Do not blow the horn and sit there waiting for a guard. The gate and reader was put in to make it harder for a non-member to access DV. It does not mean that a guard will always open the gate for you. 95% of the time they will but if they are not available…short handed, indisposed, assisting another officer etc., use your card to open the gate. Traffic has backed up because some just sit there waiting for the guard. This also reminds you to keep your gate card in the car and accessible but not out in plain view for someone to take out of your vehicle.

SNOW: The way the snow fell and the cold temps sure made it a challenge. I have received a large # of calls complimenting the staff on a job well done. A few areas needed special attention but we took care of them very quickly. Quite a few cars had to be pulled or pushed this time and we were glad to assist those in need…hope it saved you some towing money. That being said, there were times and there will be in the future when we can’t pull you out because of the possibility of damaging the vehicle. If the men feel damage will definitely occur, they will not try to pull you out. I hope everyone understands; there will be times when we just can’t take the risk.

DEER: I’m not endorsing any company just passing on the facts about feeding deer. Put the freeze on winter deer damage -- Turning a cold shoulder to visiting deer is the right thing to do. "It's so cold out. They must be starving - why else would they be looking for food? If I feed them, maybe they'll stay away from my plants!" Sound familiar? As tempting as it may be, turn a cold shoulder to foraging deer - do not feed them! And, in spite of the chilly temperatures, ice or snow, applying proven effective, deer repellent through the winter months (just apply when temperatures are above freezing) will help stop deer in their tracks and prevent them from destroying ornamental bushes, trees and winter garden plants.
Don't feed the deer. Contrary to how it may seem to the softhearted, feeding deer is not good for them and it's obviously not good for landscaping. In fact, feeding deer actually trains them to think of that backyard as a reliable source of food - and they won't stop at generous handouts - expensive plantings will become tasty treats, too. Although well meaning, feeding deer promotes unhealthy behavior. They will stay near the easy source of food, even if it's inadequate, rather than seeking food in their natural environment. If deer ingest a food type that is not part of their natural diet they can become sick and even die. Typically, they will compete for handouts, leaving more submissive deer underfed and promoting overly aggressive behavior.

Use Liquid Fence Deer & Rabbit Repellent. A liberal application of an all-season deer repellent, on and around landscaped garden areas will help stop the deer from making a winter meal of shrubs, plants, trees and vines. Liquid Fence for example works on scent, so the deer don't even have to take a bite - unlike many other repellents that require the deer to "munch away" to be effective. The product should be applied when temperatures are above freezing, during a dry period, then again, one week later. After that, a once-a-month spraying is all that's needed.

An ounce of prevention…

It's much easier to prevent the damage than it is to stop a foraging cycle that has already begun. Deer are creatures of habit. If they munched your tulips in the spring or crunched your pumpkins in the fall, you can bet they'll be chomping your arborvitae in the winter! By applying Deer Off or Liquid Fence Deer & Rabbit Repellent at the first signs of deer foraging, you'll break their habit before it takes a strong hold.

A neighborhood effort: As in most situations, there is power in numbers. If adjacent properties practice the same deer control policies, the neighborhood will benefit. Let your neighbors know that regularly feeding the local deer population actually does more harm than good. Not to mention angering the neighborhood by training the deer to continually seek food in everyone's back yard!

Simple steps to stopping winter deer damage:

Don't feed the deer.

Use Deer Off or Liquid Fence Deer & Rabbit Repellent.

Break the foraging habit before it takes hold.

Get the neighbors involved.

NO BOARD MEETING IN JANUARY DUE TO NUMEROUS CLUB COMMITTEE MEETINGS.