You have planted a rainbow of foods and plants in your garden. You want to continue to cultivate growth and beauty in your yard. That becomes difficult with that rainbow you planted is filled with filthy unwanted visitors. Here’s how to keep those pesky pests out of your garden!
Gate/Fence
Gate’s are an excellent way to keep unwanted visitors at bay. Picking the right kind of barrier is the challenge. Gate’s can sometimes fail to keep humans out of areas; you are dealing with animals who are even more equipped at climbing. You want the gate to be tall enough and sturdy enough to keep even the most agile animals away. Choosing plastic is the wrong way to go; it is terrible for the environment, and likely won’t be the best barrier between pests and your garden. Wood is often the ideal way to go; it’s better for the environment and visually compliments your garden. A four-foot fence is a safe bet for small animals and even larger intruders.
Wire Cloche
Gates can be expensive, so an alternative is wire cloche. If it is one specific plant, the intruders are after you can place a gate that covers the plant. Covering the plant works exceptionally well for tomatoes, carrots, or other delicious vegetables that the animals are chewing on. You can use chicken wire too, as this also will be an effective way to keep pests away.
Consider Raising Your garden
Raising your garden by placing it in a tall bed will likely keep rabbits and other creatures away. It also comes with many other added benefits such as less crouching, control over soil, and a more flexible growing season. Raising it will give you more control over plant growth and animal vandalism.
Repellant
People often stay away from classic animal repellent because they know that, though it doesn’t poison animals, it still hurts their stomachs. If you are into gardening, you likely are a friend to wildlife, and though find their intrusion annoying, you don’t want to harm them. Luckily there are a few natural ways to create a repellant that won’t harm the animal or your plants. For instance, raccoons dislike strong smells, combining soap and water, and cayenne pepper are great ways to keep both raccoons and insects off of your beloved garden.
Get a Cat
No really– cats are natural hunters. They go after rodents and often feel very territorial. Knight your cat as a guard to your garden. If you are worried about your cat engaging with wild animals, don’t be. Most likely, the smell of the cat will drive rodents scurrying in the other direction. They are looking for easy access, and no matter how yummy your treats might be, they won’t be willing to risk their lives for a taste.
Create Noise
As I’m sure you have better things to do than examine your yard for pests, scaring them with another human’s voice is not a bad idea. If your neighbor’s don’t mind, you can place a talk radio station outside in your garden. Raccoons and other animals are afraid of humans, and if they hear them, they will likely never return.
Depending on the type of animal you are dealing with different methods may work for you. Just remember to make your garden as unappealing and inaccessible to them as possible, and you will get rid of critters for good!
