Getting Rid of Pests Part 3

In the previous posts, I wrote about strategies to keep damaging fungus and diseases and also bad bugs out of your garden. In this third and final post on garden pests, I'm going to give you some strategies for preventing animal damage. Whole books have been written on this subject so my goal is to give you some great ideas to get started.

What do I mean by animal damage? Squirrels, rabbits, mice, voles, groundhogs, dear and more can get into your garden and eat it long before it's ready to be harvested. Nothing is more disheartening than seeing months of work destroyed over night by the local wildlife. To prevent this happening to you, consider some of the strategies below.

Fencing
One of the most effective methods for keeping out animals is fencing. Of course, the type of animal you are keeping out determines the type of fence you put in. I've had great success keeping out rabbits with cheap chicken wire fencing from the hardware store. $10 for 50 feet. If you're keeping out burrowing animals (moles an voles) then the fence needs to go at least 6 inches into the ground. If you're trying to keep deer out, then it needs to be a taller fence. The only animal it won't work on is a squirrel.

Scare Crows
It's a long running tradition in gardening - scare crows. They may or may not work for you. My advice is to only put it up during the season so as to prevent the animals from getting used to it. An alternative to the traditional scare crow is a fake owl. Owls prey on lots of rodents, Another take on the same idea is to hang up shiny things, like aluminum plates or flashing tape as they are supposed to scare away animals away as well. However, to me that just looks like you have garbage hanging up in your garden so I'd be reluctant to trying it.

Encourage Natural Predators
There are only two ways I know to do this. First, if you live around a wooded area, then put up an owl box to encourage nesting. Seriously, you really want birds of prey in your area. We are really lucky to have lots of hawks around us but I don't know how you can set out to attract them. But you can put out a box for owls. Second, and I know this is controversial, is to get an out door cat. It's not the PC thing to say but my mother never had problems with rodents for decades, until she no longer kept barn cats. It's something to consider.

Trap and Release
If you're the compassionate sort with the time and means, then you can trap and release animals to another area. I've heard of people having good success with squirrels this way. Of course, you need to check with your local municipality to be sure it's legal where you live. Speaking of legality...

Well, those are my best suggestions. What has helped you to keep animals out of your garden?