ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – Residents and businesses in Roanoke say an overpopulation of deer in the city is causing significant problems, from damaged merchandise and destroyed gardens to traffic hazards, increased ticks, and the spread of tick-borne diseases.
Townside Gardens, a plant nursery on Franklin Road that has operated for nearly 40 years, says deer coming down from nearby woods have been eating its plants for the past two years.
“This is the material that’s been damaged within the last two weeks. You can see some of it’s more significant than others. So they completely just destroyed this hydrangea. Some of it’s a little more minor, but we certainly notice it. And that’s not a plant that’s going to be nearly as sellable as it was before,” said Casey Jones, one of the owners of Townside Gardens…