Scare off Garden Pests

There are many critters and insects that want to share in the bounty from your hard work and some will wipe out the food before you have a chance to enjoy it yourself. So which critters are the most common, and what can you do to get rid of them?

The biggest offender for most gardens is deer. Most deer are caught gobbling up the garden's plants late in the evening or early in the morning. But if you haven't seen them, their damage to plants is obvious. Their teeth leave a jagged irregular cut in vegetation that they have been snacking on. (We've gone over how to deter deer from your garden in the past also).

Raccoons come in a close second for the biggest garden offender. Unlike deer that will eat nearly all the garden plants, racoons main focus is corn, melons, and tomatoes. The biggest sign of a raccoon in your garden? Their foot prints.

Rabbits and various rodents tend to leave plants looking like they have been cut by scissors. Also, these types of pest tend to avoid corn, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, cucumbers and several types of peppers. But the plants they do enjoy, well those can be ruined by these creatures food forages.

And as any of us know that deal with fruits, birds can do quite a bit of damage, even to some vegetables.

So what can you do to keep these critters away from your garden?

Be sure you locate your garden as far away from the edges of the woods as possible. Be sure to keep the area around your garden well mowed and keep places for animals to hide either completely gone or to a bare minimum. When animals feel that they have an easy get away, they are more likely to target your garden for their food source. If they feel that it is too dangerous and too open, then they may pass your garden by and find food elsewhere.

Use scare crows, wind chimes, fake owls, and objects that smell like a human, such as hair from your local barber. Assaulting all of the animals senses will make them more fearful of your garden.

For deer, a fence can help to keep them out. However, a traditional fence raccoons will just climb over, while rodents can squeeze through the fencing, but with an electric fence other animals will be deterred as well as the deer. Be careful with an electric fence, be sure to turn off the current to it before going into your garden to ensure that you do not give yourself a shock. Also, if you have young children who will be near the fenced in garden, an electric fence is not the best option. If you decide to go with an electric fence, you will need to get electric fence supplies and learn how to safely install and use one.

For more tips on deterring wildlife visit the source below.