Many fences will require you to install fence posts before wrapping the fence itself around them. Most fences are built to surround an entire garden. The exact material and style of your fence is up to you. You could use wood, metal or plastics such as polypropylene to create your fence. Some fences are electric and will shock any intruding animal that touches it. It can be a good idea to bury about 1’ of your fence underground to block burrowing animals.
Most raised beds can be made out of wooden planks, stones, bricks or concrete blocks. Building a raised bed that is at least 2’ off the ground will keep most rabbits out. Adding a bottom layer of mesh fencing to your raised bed will keep burrowing animals out. You can still add fences and covers to a raised bed for extra protection.
Adding a simple chicken wire fence around a plant can be enough to keep most pests away. You can buy garden fabric to cover your plants and protect them from being eaten. Young plants can be covered in deer or bird netting.
You can buy animal repellents that smell like the urine of a predator. These repellents will make your garden seem dangerous to animals. You’ll likely need to know which type of animal is invading your garden before buying a predator scent that scares that specific animal. You might try using spicy or unappealing sprays around your garden. These sprays can make animals uncomfortable or make your garden taste and smell bad enough that they will look for food elsewhere. Animal repelling sprays can be bought at most home or garden stores. You can try looking up homemade animal repellent recipes and make your own. Many sprays will need to be applied often, as rain or moisture will wash them away.
Azalea, boxwood, lamb’s ear, peony and marigolds are all unappealing to rabbits. Bleeding hearts, daffodils, hyssop, and mullein are plants that can repel deer. You can try mixing some of these plants in with your garden to make the whole thing look unappealing. Planting these barrier plants along the parameter of your garden can help repel pests.
Modern scarecrows come equipped with motion sensors and will spray water at any invading wildlife. Having an outdoor dog can help keep many animals out of your garden. Some repellents make use of shiny or reflective material to frighten off birds. You can buy electronic repellents that sound an alarm or play a frightening sound when they detect motion.
Make sure your cat has all of its vaccines as many wild animals can carry diseases. Always monitor your cat to make sure they are in good health and are capable of safely going outdoors.
Make sure any attractive plants are placed away from your garden. Making an animal’s favorite foods easy to get to will prevent them from trying to gain access to your garden. Try planting some extra vegetables in an area that is easy for pests to get at, keeping them away from the ones you plan on eating.
Avoid having lots of weeds or heavy plant cover, as most animals enjoy feeling hidden in the foliage. Get rid of woodpiles that may be near the garden. Cut down or move bushes or shrubs that surround the garden.
Rabbits Groundhogs Mice Moles Raccoons Rats Skunks Deer Birds Slugs and snails
Garden fences should be at least 3’ tall. Burying a fence 1’ underground can help prevent rabbits from burrowing under. Raised beds can make it difficult for rabbits to enter your garden. Try adding barrier plants like azalea or boxwood to repel rabbits. Clean up piles of brush, logs or rocks to remove a rabbit’s favorite hiding places. Ask your local authorities about trapping regulations if your rabbit problem persists.
A deer fence will need to be around 8’ tall. Deer won’t leap over a fence if they don’t see a safe space to land. Try adding another, inner fence or fence posts to prevent them from leaping into your garden. Spraying predator urine around your garden’s parameter can scare deer away. Scaring deer away with motion triggered devices is a good option. Dogs that allowed to roam outdoors can keep deer from your garden. Rosemary, garlic and oregano can make good barrier plants.
You can hang shiny balloons on posts around your garden, preferably vinyl balls with menacing faces. You can try building a barrier out of chicken wire around your plants. Casting a net over your garden is a sure-fire way to keep birds out. You may create a framework out of bamboo poles, fence posts or tall stakes. Then, drape the netting over the framework so it reaches the ground and anchor the net using bent wire so it cannot get blown over by the wind. You can also try putting fishing line or black thread throughout your garden, as birds do not like wires and may stay away. Try a high-tech option by using a computer system in the shape of an owl that makes a screeching owl noise, which will frighten away the birds.
Applying a barrier of Diatomaceous Earth (DE), a powder containing tiny sharp fragments that hurts snails and slugs, is the best option. Avoid using DE made for swimming pools. Make a beer trap buy pouring beer into a shallow container, like a yogurt cup, up to an inch below the rim, and burying so the top is level with the soil. Slugs and snails will be attracted to the beer, and drown in the container. Change the beer every few days. Buy a snail and slug copper barrier, and lay two to three inch strips around your plants. Copper barriers can be pretty pricey, so you may want to save them for your favorite plants. Purchase Sluggo, a slug and snail bait that is nontoxic to humans and wildlife. Try planting red clover around your garden as a sacrificial plant. You can also remove slugs and snails with your hands each morning. Place them in soapy water to kill them.
Put up a chicken-wire fence with a trench lined with chicken wire. If you don’t want to put up a fence, try covering young plants with plastic or fabric covers.
Mix slate particles into the soil around your plants. You can also use a slate-containing soil. To keep mice away from bulbs, put crushed gravel in the planting hole. Try snap traps baited with rolled oats or peanut butter to kill mice, or humane mouse traps. You can also buy vitamin D bait, which causes mice to die a few days after ingestion. Remove plant cover, straw, and fluffy mulch from your garden to make it less hospitable to these critters. Purchase an ammonium-containing rodent repellant from your local garden center or hardware store. Cats are great at catching mice and voles. Sometimes, the presence of a cat is enough to keep them away.
