# Animal-proofing the garden



## B.Chunks (Dec 3, 2011)

I'll finally have time to grow a nice garden this year. I've made a few attempts at small gardens, but they usually become rabbit or squirrel food. 

I'm definitely going to put up fencing around the area. Looking for tips and other ideas to keep the burrowing critters out and especially the squirrels from just climbing over and wiping out my corn. How far should I recess the fencing into the ground to keep moles and such out of there? Maybe a better idea? Any tips appreciated.


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## garybail (Aug 23, 2004)

i use plastic hawks and snakes 
big box garden centers, walmart 
also check with boat store flying kites that look like birds of prey


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## Radar420 (Oct 7, 2004)

I've been doing container gardening for the last several years and squirrels and chipmunks are the bane of my existence :rant:. So far, the most effective strategy I've found, short of trapping, is to spread some "Tanglefoot" around the edges of my containers. It's a sticky substance that doesn't dry and the animals don't want to touch it. It lasts at least a month and keeps those vermin out of my veggies. Just be careful around it because it will get on everything if you're not careful :lol:


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## sullyxlh (Oct 28, 2004)

Suppressor.


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## Rudi's Dad (May 4, 2004)

If you grow sweet corn, you need an electric fence to keep the ***** out of the garden.
Deer will just jump over whatever you have to get in IF they want to get in.


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## MRocks (Aug 31, 2007)

One thing a buddy told me about keeping deer out of your garden. He has a 4 ft fence. He extended the tops of the stakes another couple of feet and put a thin, single wire around the top of that. The deer feel the wire but it's too thin for them to see. He said not being able to see it bothers them and keeps them from jumping into his garden. It must work because his garden is within sight of one of his bow stands, but then never have deer problems.

I have had success with powdered jalapenos or other hot peppers. I spray the plants with water then sprinkle pepper dust on the water to get it to stick. I've found spit-out tulip leaves right next to the bite marks, still with the pepper on them.


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## Patman75 (Jan 11, 2012)

Electric fence might be your best option. 

If money and space is not an issue then you might want to go with a double wall fence. I know someone who did this after years of fighting the deer, rabbits, wood chucks and squirels.

Outer fence 5-6 foot
inner wall 5-6 foot and inside the outer fence by 4-5 feet. 
Electic fence both. 
Bury and apron around the outerwall, 3 feet of fence buried under the ground.
The double wall keep the deer from jumping, the electrcity keep the climber out, the apron keep the diggers out. Animals will dig at the fence, they are not smart enough to back up 3 feet and start digging.

Good luck!


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## tbarden11 (Mar 2, 2011)

I put up a 6 foot plastic deer fence I bought on line last year. Works great. Very strong. I am doubling the size of my garden this year. Last year I planted things outside of the fence that I thought the deer would not touch.....onions, potato plants....nope, mowed them down. I have a lot of deer around, and the fence works great. I want to say 125 feet cost me around $100.

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## BluesMan (Mar 29, 2012)

http://www.havahart.com/store/animal-repellents

Some good ideas are:
- put up a fake owl 
- use a green house
- use raised beds and build a canopy of chicken wire 
- a good dog that likes chasing critters
- motion detector sprinkler


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

I have a shed greenhouse next to my garden with a motion sensor yard light. I took the light fixture apart and spliced a wire into the wires going to one of the bulbs and ran it to a receptacle. Plugged in an old radio and cranked it up.

The radio comes on with the light, I think the key is that its a different sound everytime the radio comes on. A buddy put up a box on a pole in his garden and Copied my design only inside the box.

Problem solved. I probably should have mocked up a nice one and patented it.


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## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

I found that Irish spring bar soap run through a cheese grater and spread around your garden works like a charm on deer problems. Easy and cheap.


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## outdoor_m_i_k_e (Feb 3, 2005)

The last garden I had, I started having problems with deer. I put up stakes around the garden about 4 ft high. Made a 3 strand "fence" with fishing line. I just put a few small "flags" around it so I could see it myself, and never had a problem with deer after that. Had deer tracks all around the outside, but they would bump the line, and couldn't figure out what it was. Ill see if I can dig up some of the pics. I set a trail cam up and caught a couple deer just outside the fence, but couldnt get in.

As for rabbits and squirrels. . I found guns to be the best option!


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

I've seen a sprinker head that has a motion detector on it, pretty sweet at deterring the critters and keeps a bit of extra moisture on the plants. 

Up in your neck of the woods the only real solution maybe a guard tower and a couple of snipers.


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## Richard Cranium (Feb 27, 2008)

Something I discovered last year that really worked for me was a spray bottle of Liquid Fence. When applied it smells like hell and apparently the taste is just as bad because once I treated my garden, I never had another problem with the deer. Now that I think about it, I wondered why my veggies tasted like s**t .
Raccoons on the other hand decimated my sweet corn like it was their job. I had to pick early or I wasn't going to get any corn. I think for this year the good ol' **** cocktail will be in order (fly bait and a bottle of coke in a pie tin) :corkysm55:corkysm55. Works like a charm...they usually don't make it 6' :evil:.


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