From the ArcaMax Publishing, Features Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/features/s-323198-494691
Deer and raccoons, rabbits and gophers, moles and chipmunks! They
capture your heart when in a book or zoo, but when they invade your
garden. Oh! That’s a different story. Yet how can a rabbit resist
munching on your crisp lettuce? Or a possum or raccoon stay away from
your sweet corn patch? And your berries will always be attractive to a
squirrel.
Fending off the various animals that want to enjoy both your flower
and vegetable gardens can be both time consuming and frustrating.
Learning how to chase them off without poisoning both them and your
vegetables remains a crucial part of being a good gardener. As
scientists begin to realize the damaging effects of pesticides and
other poisons on the human body, the use of toxic methods needs to be
carefully considered, and then rejected.
Birds are a bird-watchers delight and somewhere between a mild and
major nuisance to the gardeners. They actually do less harm than the
four-legged animals. Birds have a number of natural enemies, so you
can scare the birds by fooling them into thinking their enemies are
around.
A humming line made of very thin nylon will vibrate and hum in even
the slightest breeze. It’s inaudible to us, but heard by the birds.
This works well with strawberries. Unusual noises can be created with
aluminum pie plates loosely tied to stakes or leaving a radio on at
night. Installing some blinking lights, hawk-like balloons or kites
that mimic larger birds can also be effective. And of course, the two
old stand-bys – scarecrows, or a dog or cat – always help out with
the bird problem. Because birds and other animals need a source of
drinking water, eliminate any standing water near the garden.
Night time is prowl time for the four-legged pests. Each animal has a
distinctive footprint and each has its favorite delicacy to munch on.
Many of them, such as deer and raccoons, can be eliminated by putting
an electric fence or other barrier around the garden. Pocket gophers
can be stopped by putting a fence made of hardware cloth two feet
below and two feet above the surface of the garden.
A chicken-wire fence works the best for rabbits, but the holes need to
be 1” or smaller. Those young rabbits aren’t very big. To keep the
mice from eating your fruit tree’s bark, sink wire mesh or ¼”
hardware cloth several inches into the ground around the fruit trees.
How can you tell which animal is doing the munching during the night?
Footprints are one way. Another is to place about 10 marshmallows out
in one spot where the animal has been feeding. Cats won’t eat the
marshmallows. Raccoons and skunks will eat all of them in one sitting.
Possums will only eat one or two, and then come back later for another
one. Some animals will only be eliminated by being caught in a trap.
After they are caught be sure to take them at least one mile away and
release them in a natural habitat. And, be careful not to get bitten.
Rabies is a reality among wild animals.
Gardening saturates one with a feeling of accomplishment and peace.
The joy of picking your fresh vegetables right before dinner can
hardly be matched by any other activity. Well, perhaps the fragrance
of your freshly picked flowers can compete!
Paul Babs is the owner and operator of Evergreen Lawns Resource to
the gardening industry. For more information, go to LeeGardening.com.
Read more in the Spring
Gardening Guide