When you invest your time and money into planting a beautiful garden in your backyard, it can be very frustrating to see it get destroyed by local wildlife. Squirrels, rabbits, birds, deer, mice, and skunks are common garden pests that most gardeners want to keep out of the yard. Use the following tips to help protect your vegetable garden from wildlife:
Build a Fence
If larger animals like deer are attacking your garden, your best bet may be to have a fence installed around it to keep them out. You can opt for a permanent fence or a temporary fence that you can put up during certain seasons. Just make sure that the fence is secure and tall enough that deer can't reach over it.
Motion Activated Sprinkler
Most animals can be scared off with water, but it is impossible to monitor your garden while holding a hose around the clock. A good solution is to set up a motion activated sprinkler near the garden. If you have a large vegetable garden, you may need more than one motion activated sprinkler. For best results, make sure the motion sensors are sensitive and that the sprinkler has a long range. Once they are in place, any animals that try to sneak into your garden for a meal will receive a spray of water that will likely scare them away.
Set Up Decoys
Visual decoys can be very effective in keeping animals from wanting to enter your garden. You may want to consider aluminum animal yard art, as you can buy one that has the appearance of a predator and also has the shine of metal which can serve as an animal deterrent. If you have a problem with small animals, like rabbits, skunks, squirrels, or mice, place an aluminum owl near your garden. When larger animals are visiting your garden, you may want to get an aluminum fox, coyote, or wolf to scare them away. For more information, contact local professionals like Outdoor Living At Saratoga.
Use Repellents
Strong smells, like garlic or predator urine, can prevent animals from wanting to go in your garden. You can purchase garlic clips that can be hung around your garden at a garden supply center, and there are a number of companies that you can order predator urine, such as coyote, wolf, or fox, that can be placed around the perimeter of the garden. Keep in mind that if you use these types of repellents, you will often need to reapply them after a rainstorm.
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