Wildlife in your garden can include rabbits, mice, squirrel’s, birds and more. They might be a good play friend for your cat or dog but they have the capability to pose a real threat to your garden. Here are somethings that you can do to prevent them from taking over and digging up your garden.
There are a host of different options to keep wildlife out of your garden. A good start is to firstly use natural safe and non-commercial DIY methods to keep your vegetable garden healthy and happy and to ensure that animals aren’t harmed while you do this. This article explores a variety of ways that you can keep wildlife out of you garden either by exclusion methods, order repellents, taste repellents and maintenance options
Rabbits
To prevent rabbits from eating your vegetables you can use a floating row cover. This is a fabric which protects the young tender seeds and plants from predators. You can remove the cover during the day because most animals feed at night
If you want to use something that excludes them from entering your garden you can create a fence out of chicken wire to protect your vegetable crops. Be sure to prevent them from digging into your garden by bending the bottom outward and burying it into the soil
Rabbits detest garlic cloves, use it to deter them from eating your vegetables and plants. Cut up cloves and scatter them all over your garden.
Marigolds are also an option to deter rabbits from eating in the garden
Some plants are totally repulsive to certain animals. You need to know from which animal you are getting regular visits from. Take precautions to plant the deterrent in your garden. Yarrow, Manzanita and Bee Balm are plants that rabbits wont eat.
Deer
These animals are harder to prevent as they might need a mix of a physical barrier and a sensory barrier to prevent them from trying to enter
You can spray shrubs with a DIY deer repellent made of 8 teaspoons of dishwashing detergent, a litre of water and one egg. Deer detest the smell but humans cannot really smell it.
A physical barrier would be to place 8 foot high deer fencing around your vegetable garden
Snakes
These creatures are helpful if you’re trying to control a rodent population. I you’re trying to control the snake population you can introduce wild boards, large birds, foxes and coyotes.
If snakes in your garden become a problem you can also use commercial repellents. Be sure to seek out and destroy their habitats such as rock and wood piles
Squirrels
To keep squirrels from eating your vegetables you can use a floating row cover just as you would use with rabbits.
Birds
Chicken wire fences are a good option to keep chickens away. To ensure that they have no access make sure the chicken wire fence is high .
If you don’t have a chicken wire fence you can use a mesh draping over your fruit trees and strawberry patches as they start to grow. This will prevent flying birds from bothering your plants.
You can use scarecrows and or metallic streamers to keep the birds away. be sure to keep moving it to ensure that braids don’t get used to it. Motion-activated sprinklers or lights can also be used.
Raccoons
Be sure to avoid them coming by securing garbage which will attract raccoons
Mice and rats
Be sure to tie garbage bags tightly and use tight fitting lids on metal dustbins so rodents cannot get to the garbage
Mice and rats are also attracted to pet food. To prevent them getting into it be sure to keep this food in metal containers and secure the tops with tight fitting lids
Get rid of places where they can create nests, for example high growing grass and weeds in your garden
Rats and mice hate the smell and taste of mint. Plant mint around your vegetables to create a barrier, you can also add kitty litter to deter the rodents.
Rodent poison can be used but make sure to avoid this if you have small children who might wander into the garden and find it
General
Some plants aren’t as great tasting to wildlife at others and the wildlife will avoid it, note that when the competition is high they’ll eat anything. Never the less I recommend you grow plants which are less desirable to pests. Plants that are highly aromatic, have prickles, or are fuzzy are good options.
Plant your vegetables in gardening pots and raised beds. The vegetables planted in this way are inaccessible to critters, they are also mobile. A bed raised by two feet will limit rabbit damage especially if it has an added fence on top
Secure compost as this attracts possums and raccoons,
Remember to feed your pets indoors to prevent wildlife from trying to access
Using odour repellents are a good tactic for a natural and safe animal deterrent. You can spray this on plants to prevent animals from wanting to eat it as well as around the area. A repellent will make the animal feel sick thus deterring them from coming back. To make a repellent that will make animals sick use: Human hair, garlic water and soap in the repellent mixture
Planting a sacrificial garden fence around your garden is a good way to avoid animals from trying to get to the plants that you actually care about. Make sure that you have a fence around your actual garden. Pests can eat the sacrificial plants leaving the plants you plan on eating.
Repellent sprays
You can use repellent sprays in and around your garden which aren’t harmful to humans but will repel animals, you can use homemade or store-bought ones.
Scent repellent sprays can be a safe, natural, homemade and cost-effective way to keep your garden safe
Repellents that smell like the urine of a predator can be purchased. Smaller animals will avoid your garden as the area will seem like its dominated by predators
Note that after rain the repellents might need to be reapplied as the water will wash off the repellent and the animals will be back
Precautions
Check with your local animal control officers to see if are allowed to catch, relocate or kill animals in the area
Be very wary if you are using poisonous in your garden as they are a very big threat to children and pets you might have, as well as stray animals that you’re not trying to fend off. Use safer methods before using poisons, let this be your last resort
If you need to keep insects out of your garden this article will help.
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