A well-kept piece of land can boost the value of your property, influence your mood, help you lead a healthier lifestyle, and more. It can easily become a vital part of every house. If you have a garden, you probably treat it with the greatest care, especially if you are the one taking care of it most of the time. You don’t want any intruders going through your healthy vegetables or damaging your beautiful flowers. So what can you do to keep your garden safe from unwanted animals?
Identify the intruder
This is the first and an essential step if you suspect that something is being harmful or feasting in your garden. For example, if you discover that it’s a deer eating your flower, investing in a good fence will probably be enough, but it won’t help if you’re dealing with little rabbits. When your intruder is a nocturnal creature, it may be hard to catch them in the act, so you need to stay attentive to tracks and other signs. You can always ask a professional for help.
Put up a physical barrier
If you’re struggling with a bigger intruder, putting up a good, strong fence will do the trick, and it’s actually where you should begin not to take any chances. It will not only keep animals like deers away from your garden, but it will keep your vegetables or flowers safe if, for example, you have little children who run around your backyard.
In the case of an animal as big as a deer, you will need a fence around 8 ft high for it to be effective. And while it’s certainly worth it, it can also get costly. If it’s a digging rodent, you have several options, such as hardware cloth or a chicken wire buried under the fence, or you can bury your fence a bit deeper. To keep your fruits safe from birds, consider lightweight mesh. Installing a home fence is not only a wise investment in securing your property, but it can also protect you and your garden from intrusive animals that might ruin your plants or even pose a danger to yourself and your family.
Research animal repellents
There are some kinds of invisible fences that many animals won’t dare to cross. There are many more and less natural products containing ingredients, smells, aromas, pheromones, etc. that act as repellents for some animals. Some use essential oils and other offensive odors; not many people know that predator urine can be a successful repellent, and a lot of gardeners confirm the effectiveness of human urine. Of course, it needs to be filtered and cleaned to work, but it also works great as a fertilizer so that you can solve two problems with one thing here. If you’re not sure about dealing with human urine, you can also research and buy synthetic urine that’s based on the human.
Remember that these barriers can be washed out by the rain, so they need to be applied regularly.
Grow plants that animals don’t like
Not all plants are delicacies for animals. In fact, some are so repelling that animals will stay away from your garden once they discover their presence. The problem is that different animals may find different plants repulsive, so it’s best if you know what’s invading your garden. For example, rabbits hate azalea, boxwood, lamb’s ear, peony and marigolds, while deers find bleeding hearts, daffodils, hyssop, and mullein really unappealing. The good side is that many of these plants are actually wonderfully-looking, so it won’t be a sacrifice from your part.
Scare the animals away
Many people are right about scarecrows’ effectiveness, though you can find more advanced items and devices that will help you scare the intruders aways. For example, some modern scarecrows are equipped with motion sensors that spray water at unwanted guests. Some repellents use shiny or reflective surfaces to scare off the birds while others use frightening sounds, but the latter should only be chosen if you have enough space to be far from your bedroom and you’re sure you won’t disturb your neighbors.
Stay cautious
Some people use various types of traps, but they come with the risk of killing innocent animals. More and more gardeners and nature lovers don’t want to be complicit, especially since there are many safer solutions. The vital thing is to keep an eye on your garden to be able to control the situation.