Webmaster It’s maybe just a tad ironic that those who most enjoy communing with nature, as in growing gardens and enjoying the local wildlife, find their passions somewhat in conflict once the local wildlife eats up one’s garden. Those who don’t want their garden to be little more than a feeding ground for local deer, squirrels and other local animals might think they have to either give up the gardening or take extreme measures against the animals that they otherwise enjoy. When you ask how to keep squirrels out of garden, how to deter deer, and about keeping rabbits out of garden, the results need not be so extreme. Instead, here are some useful tips on how to keep animals out of your garden.
6 Non-toxic Tips on how to keep Animals out of Your Garden
1. Dealing with deer: female deer do not migrate, they will seek haven in familiar settings. The sooner you nip the situation in the bud, the better served will be your relief efforts. Consult with your local extension service or university to find out what native plants are the most deer-resistant. Contrary to what some home centers will tell you, there are no fully deer-proof plants as it seems they will eat anything. However, there certainly are plants that they rank lower on their scale of preferences. A garden that highlights the lower ranked choices will have greater likelihoods of the local deer passing it by.
2. Fences: Small decorative fences and walls can be a great way to keep out many of these animals, most notably the squirrels. If done with flair they add some real beauty to your garden. To be fully effective at keeping squirrels out of garden, though, they have to completely enclose the garden. Fences of course can be used for larger animals, like deer, too, but then you’re looking at a much larger fence and one that may well detract from your enjoyment of the garden.
3. Natural repellants: Some people swear by the use of these, using for instance spray made from mixture of water, vinegar and jalapeno peppers or sprinkling the surround area with cayenne pepper. These have proven to be especially successful to keep squirrels out of garden. Irish Spring’s soap has been used, shaved and sprinkled in flower beds, to keep animals away, but you need to keep an eye on the area as rain and watering will wash it away quickly.
4. Blocking the hole: When dealing with burrowing animals like rabbits and groundhogs, a good first step is to explore your property looking for their holes. Once you’ve found these entrance ways into your garden, consider decorative ways to close and cover them up. A large potted flower pot can take up the space that they’ve been using in a way that provides color to a spot you may have neglected. Also, freshly mulched beds can disrupt a familiar nesting spot just enough to motivate the uninvited guests to relocate.
5. Put out a Water Tray: This is especially effective for keeping squirrels out of garden. Frequently, they attack fruiting plants and bulbs to quench their thirst, rather than out of hunger. If you place a source of water near the flower beds and trees, the squirrels are less likely to nibble up the fruits for liquid.
6. Feed them: One way to protect your garden is just to give the animals what they need before they even get to your garden. Generally, they won’t bother with your garden if food higher on their scale of preferences is made readily available before they even get to the garden. This requires identifying who has been pilfering your garden and what they prefer to eat. Be forewarned though, once you go down this road, it’s a long way back. They’ll start regularly coming to feed at your house and more of them may be attracted to easily available food source. And, if you stop feeding them, because it’s too much time or trouble, guess where they’re going to go eat. On the other hand, though, for your own pleasure, being able to observe them, this can indeed be a win-win solution for the nature lover.
Hope these non-toxic tips on how to keep squirrels out of garden, how to deter deer, and about keeping burrowing animals like rabbits out of garden, have been helpful. Knowing how to keep animals out of your garden need not lead to unpleasant and hurtful solutions that harm them and saddens you.
