Any gardener knows how quickly wild animals can destroy their hard work. The fruits, vegetables, and flowers you’ve been lovingly tending to can be snatched up or nibbled on before you even realize what’s happening; you could also find yourself stepping on holes and tunnels in the dirt. Your local wildlife does not know they are trespassing on your land, and they likely believe your garden is their own personal grocery store. As a nature lover, you want to find safe and humane ways to deter wild animals from eating your garden. Keep reading to find out more about the common culprits of garden theft and learn some of your options for keeping these critters away!
What Kind of Animal Is Getting Into Your Garden?
Your first step in tackling a wild animal problem in your garden is to determine what type of creature (or, more likely, creatures) you’re facing. You might not have seen any animals in your garden, but that probably means you simply weren’t looking at the right time. Most of these garden thieves will show up around dawn or dusk. All you have to do is watch for them to find out what kind of animals are coming around. However, some animals are purely nocturnal so you won’t be able to see them through your window. Look around your garden for any droppings left behind, as these can help you identify what species were hanging around during the night. There are plenty of online guides for identifying wild animal droppings, but your local wildlife center would be glad to help if you still feel unsure. There are several common garden pests, but not all may be present in your area.
Common Garden Pests Include:
Deer
Rabbits
Birds
Groundhogs
Raccoons
Squirrels
Methods of Deterring the Unwanted Garden Guests
Once you’ve determined what kind of creatures are stealing your fruits and veggies, it’s time to get to work on a safe, humane solution to keep them away.
Fence In Your Garden
The most obvious solution is to build a sturdy fence around your garden. A smaller fence, made of something like chicken wire or mesh, should keep most small mammals out. However, rabbits and groundhogs may be able to burrow under your fence, so be sure to bury it 10-12” deep. If it is deer you want to deter, your fence will need to be at least 4 feet high. The downside to this method is that fencing is by no means cheap. Costs vary depending on the type of fencing used and the size of your garden, so do thorough research before you decide to take this route. And remember, a fence can’t keep away birds.
Cover Your Plants
If your plants aren’t too large, you may be able to use wire cloches, chicken wire, or bird netting to keep animals from reaching your plants. Although less expensive than building a fence, using covering methods will still cost you a decent amount out of pocket.
Build Raised Garden Beds
This is something that’s become more popular in recent years, both for keeping wild animals away from plants and for homes with smaller yard space. Planting in raised garden beds will help to keep smaller mammals away from your plants, although you may still have to deal with those with greater reach.
Use Homemade Repellents
The options above can get pricey. If you like DIY solutions, try creating your own animal repellent to spray either on your plants or around your garden. Hot pepper solution, sprayed onto plants, can deter nibbling by making it an unpleasant experience. Castor oil and garlic are said to keep pests away as well. Predator urine, which you’d likely have to purchase, can be sprayed around the border of your garden to scare away small garden visitors. The downside to using repellents is that you have to frequently refresh or reapply them, such as after rain.
Nite Guard Repellent Tape and Solar Lights
At Nite Guard, we have the perfect solution for your problem regarding wild animals getting into your garden. If you’re looking for an economical, effective, and eco-friendly solution to your garden pests, we can help.
Nite Guard repellent tape is a heavy-duty metallic iridescent tape that helps to keep birds away during the day. The tape creates visual and auditory obstacles for birds trying to get into your garden. The bright metallic material deters birds with bright flashes as it blows in the wind, and it creates crackling noises as it moves.
After dusk, Nite Guard’s solar-powered predator light steps in to defend your garden. After charging up using the light of the sun all day, this small device emits a glowing red light that imitates the watching eyes of a large predator animal. When you need to deter wild animals that come on foot from dusk to dawn, Nite Guard Solar is the solution for you. By suggesting to the would-be garden thieves that there is already a predator animal in the garden, the light works to keep smaller mammals away from your hard-earned produce. For best results, it’s recommended to install a light facing in each direction around your garden.
If you’d like to know more about how Nite Guard Solar lights can keep away garden pests – or bolster any measures you’ve already taken – please don’t hesitate to reach out to us to chat!