We all love having that beautiful garden, packed with veggies and flowers. They are pretty to look at, and the fruit of your work will also taste delicious once harvest comes. Many of us spend hours a day planting our flowers, tending to our vegetables, and making sure they have all the water that they need.
The problem is that just like we find our gardens attractive, so does wildlife. A bird may mistake your plants and veggies for snacks. A rabbit might believe those carrots were planted for them especially. Insects may come in for a quick snack and end up staying.
Regardless of the wildlife trespasser that you are dealing with, you need to make sure they get the message – they should stay away. Here are some tips to get that message across.
1. Make a Fence Around the Garden or Yard
There’s nothing better than a good ol’ fence to keep any unwanted trespassers away. If what you are dealing with are small animals, such as rabbits, groundhogs, or raccoons, a mesh or wire fence should be enough. Bear in mind that some of these mammals can dig holes under the fence, so make sure the fence is around 12 inches deep in the ground.
If you have a problem with taller trespassers, such as deer, you may want to build a fence that is at least 4-feet high. Costs can be higher with this method, but if you use the right kind of fence, you can keep all kinds of animals out – big and small.
2. Use the Right Pesticides
If you are having problems with pests (big or small), the best way to take care of this is to use repellents on the plants. Building fences can be quite expensive, so this should prove a good alternative.
Ideally, try going for natural repellents such as pepper spray or garlic. If the pest starts nibbling and realises the plants don’t taste good, they will leave them alone. If you can’t come up with a useful product, you might want to contact a reputable pest control company to help you with your problem.
3. Use Netting to Cover Plants
Fencing can be good to keep wild animals away, but there is one thing that they may not be able to help with: birds. Since these animals can fly right into your yard, they couldn’t care less about the fact that you built a fence. They’ll fly straight into your berries and your crops.
This is why you may want to cover up the areas that you believe might attract birds. Netting should work just fine, and there are also transparent kinds that you won’t even notice are there. If you have a problem with cutworms, use cardboard plant collars around the plant base. With the roots protected, they should not be able to get through.
4. Raised Garden Beds
Raised beds have become quite a common occurrence in the past couple of years, and they are a good alternative if you don’t want to build a fence around the flower bed. If they are raised at an appropriate height, smaller animals won’t be able to reach your plants.
Plus, look at the bright side: since you will have raised beds, you will not have to bother too much with bending down when you do the gardening. Your back will thank you for this.
These raised beds might not be able to protect against the animals that have a greater reach, which is why you should fence the garden beds – that is, if fencing the whole yard does not seem appealing to you.
5. Plant the Right Herbs
Garden pests love some kinds of plants, but they also hate other types. For example, many bugs hate the smell of mint, lemongrass, citronella, fennel, and basil – and if you plant these herbs, they will act as insect repellents, keeping the pests away.
You may also want to plant herbs that attract beneficial insects. Ladybugs, bees, hoverflies, spiders, and ground beetles are actually good for your garden since they eat the bad insects. Yes, a ladybug can eat around 50 aphids per day, and the ladybug larvae will eat even more than that.
For these beneficial insects, you might want to plant parsley, cilantro, and dill. Plus, as a bonus, these plants (except for citronella) are very tasty as well – so, there won’t be any harm done if you plant a couple of them.
6. Use Hairs
Yes, we can imagine your reaction, and we take it as a cue to change your mind. Wildlife trespassers don’t like to stay around dogs or humans too much, mainly because they see them as a threat. So, if they get just a whiff of your hair, they will take it as a sign that someone is there and will stay away.
So, the next time you brush your dog or take the fallen hair out of your own hairbrush, resist the temptation to throw away the hair. Collect it and then place it in your yard or your flower bed. For a better spread, allow your dog to have a few runs in the yard, perhaps do some business. This should help send a message to wild animals.
On top of that, hair makes a good fertilizer, so you will be doing your garden or yard a favour. You might not like your hair falling into the salad, but when it is on the ground, it decomposes and gives the right nutrients to your plants.
Plants need nitrogen to grow, and since human hair is about 15% nitrogen, your herbs will get all the food they need.
The Bottom Line
No one likes trespassers, whether they are human or wildlife. To ensure your yard is not affected, try the tips above. If none of them work, contact a pest control company to help you with your problem.
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Luqman has been a pest control technician for over 20 years. He is passionate about solving people’s pest and wildlife control problems through innovative, eco-friendly, and humane methods. He believes that pest control is a science and feels that his function in his community is very important since he helps people live in peace without causing unnecessary harm to animals.