Gardening has a host of benefits, both for your general wellbeing (since eating something you’ve planted and grown yourself is better than eating store bought produce), but also for your mental health. Gardening has great benefits for your psyche, and is a great way to relax after a long week.
Unfortunately, wild animals love it, also, and are probably thinking about your garden right now. In this article, we’ll talk about three things you can do to keep wild animals away from your garden. Because allowing wildlife near your garden is not only bad for the garden itself, but also dangerous for you – since this might encourage them to set up home inside your own.
1. Use garden fencing.
Fencing is an absolute must for any dedicated gardener, for the very simple reason that it offers such high protection to your garden. Of course, this depends on the type of fence you opt for. If you’re using a chain link fence, for instance, you’ll want to use one with really tiny gaps, so as not to permit smaller animals (like rodents or snakes) from sneaking through. Alternatively, you can also purchase closely-knit wire mesh to wrap around your wooden fence, to protect against smaller creatures.
When setting up your fence, you’ll also want to make sure you dig it in deep, so as to also protect against underground pests such as groundhogs. You’ll want your fence to go in at least 8-10 inches, and have a slight curve outward, to keep animals from digging around. This is really important, since protecting against underground pests can be even trickier than against overground creatures.
2. Call a wildlife professional. Do your research.
When protecting your garden patch from wildlife, it certainly pays to do your research, and know which types of wildlife are most common in your area, as well as what you can do to deter those specific animals from approaching. You can visit wildlifeanimalpest.com to learn more about invasive species, and to be prepared in case of an invasion. Here, you’ll find all the information you need on prevention, as well as the most effective removal methods.
Speaking of which, if you suspect you’re dealing with a wild animal on your property, we highly recommend that you hire a pro at frankswildlife.com. Professional wildlife removal services are more skilled and experienced, and benefit from all the necessary protection for dealing with wildlife. Do not put yourself in danger by attempting to remove the wild animal yourself.
You can also call a professional for preventive services. A professional wildlife removal expert can advise you on things like raccoon control, and how to handle intrusive wildlife, as well as assess the situation on your property, and point out potential weaknesses. They’ll spot what might attract wild animals to your property, as well as what might constitute an entry point, and fix it before it becomes a problem. Remember, prevention is always easier than removal.
3. Use your plants wisely.
If you’re wary about using store bought wildlife repellants because of the toxic chemicals they contain, we can’t say we blame you. But that shouldn’t mean you don’t do anything to deter wildlife from approaching your garden.
What if we were to tell you that you could use your very own garden to keep animals away from your garden? Planting things with strong scents will work against the wild animals who, traditionally, cannot stomach strong scents. Things like garlic, mint, or lavender, all work tremendously well in keeping away wildlife thanks to the pungent smell.
Alternatively, you can use strong smells and flavors to make your own DIY wildlife repellents. Using garlic or hot pepper, as well as a water and dishwashing liquid, you can make your very own wildlife repellent spray. Apply regularly, to maximize its efficiency.
Oh, and speaking of strong flavors, you might also consider planting flowers and plants with strong, unpleasant tastes (like marigolds) to keep away animals. Once a wild animal gets a mouthful of marigold, it won’t be able to get away fast enough. And, best of all, these are all-natural repellent ideas, so you don’t need to worry about toxic chemicals.
