Till a year back, I had raccoons and birds visiting my garden almost every day.
I didn’t think this to be a problem then, but I soon realized that it was after noticing half-eaten berries and droppings on my lawn. They were turning out to be a nuisance, creating a mess of my property.
That’s when I decided that something had to be done immediately to deter these critters. In no time, my laptop was on, and I began my search on how to keep animals out of garden areas. Now, I came across numerous articles, blogs, and guides on the topic, each suggesting more ways than one.
This made the process a bit confusing; I didn’t know where and how to begin. In fact, it was after a lot of trials and errors that I found the most effective yet humane way to prevent critters from entering my property.
Howdy! I’m Stacy Smith, and today, I’ll be highlighting six tips to help you protect your yard. But before that, I’ll talk about the most common animals that usually visit gardens in search of food and shelter.
So, without further delay, let’s get right into it!
You should know which animal you’re dealing with before trying out the methods to prevent them from ransacking your beautiful garden. Of course, putting up a high fence for a deer or dog will be pointless if raccoons are the cause for your concern.
Now, catching them during the act is challenging, especially if you’re dealing with nocturnal critters. So, look for tracks or any other clue that they might have left to make an accurate identification.
Here is a list of a few trouble-making critters and the signs to help identify them:
For protecting your garden from animals like deer, you’ll need to build a fence up to 8 feet high. But I’d advise building two shorter fences, spaced 2 to 3 feet apart, as this technique is more cost-effective. Plus, the deer won’t want to jump over or between the two fences due to the lack of sufficient space.
However, you’ll have to add another layer of fencing if the problem is a digging rodent. The best way to keep rabbits and moles away from your property is by attaching hardware cloth or chicken wire to the fence (lower edge). Also, ensure that it’s buried at a depth of 3 to 5 inches.
Now, it’s obvious that this technique won’t work for birds, right? Well, I have a solution for this, too; use mesh or a wire cloche to protect specific plants, fruits, and vegetable patches. Just place it over the rooted plant, and the birds won’t be able to reach your produce.
You can make use of natural repellents like castor oil, hot pepper, predator urine, and garlic to keep animals away from your garden. They effectively prevent the critters from creating a mess without causing harm to the plants.
However, if the natural remedies fail to work, you may try using commercial repellents like chemical sprays. Even devices producing noise and ultrasonic sounds can help scare them away.
Another way to scare these trouble-making critters away is by installing motion-activated sprinklers. But I’d suggest opting for this method only if you have a few unwanted visitors. Avoid using these sprinklers if there are numerous animals attacking your garden, as they might end up overwatering your plants.
Let me just say that this isn’t a very feasible method for all gardeners. But if it’s possible, grow plants that are less appealing to animals. Fuzzy-looking plants having prickly textures and pungent odors will deter them from eating the other plants in your garden.
Animals enter gardens in search of food, so take measures to prevent them from feeding on your vegetables and fruits. You can do this by placing food outside the property away from your garden. But it’s important to know about their favorite food type; otherwise, it will be pointless.
That said, nuts and seeds are loved by most animals, including birds. Set up bird feeders in your property stocked with these food items, and you’ll notice even the other small creatures climbing up to feed on them. As a result, they’ll refrain from nibbling on your plants.
By trapping methods, I don’t mean using inhumane techniques to trap animals. Instead, consider setting live traps with spring-loaded doors. They will trap the critters alive, allowing you to release them safely away from your property.
There are many ways to keep animals away from your precious and beautiful garden. However, it’s important to ensure that these methods, in no way, cause any harm to the wildlife and your natural surroundings.
On that note, it’s time to bid you adieu. But before that, here’s a bit of advice I’d like to leave you with.
Even if you plan on placing alternative sources of food, do so in a way that doesn’t attract the attention of more animals and pests. You could also train your pet dog to be a guard dog while cats help in warding off smaller creatures.
With this, I’ve reached the end of my guide. I’ll be back again with more information related to lawn care. Until then, feel free to get in touch with me by leaving a comment down below.
Take care!
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