The Organic Pest Free Garden, Part II: Critters

A while ago, I wrote about keeping "bad" insects out of the garden organically. But sometimes the thing that's eating your homegrown veggies, fruits, and berries isn't a bug - it's a critter. And often, deterring critters is much more difficult than deterring bugs. Deer If you live in the country or near a wooded area, chances are deer are the greatest enemy to your garden. This will be obvious mostly because you will see them there - and you'll notice fruits and berries up high are missing. My in-laws successfully keep deer out of their garden by keeping dogs. Unfortunately, dogs can also tear up garden beds - so you'll need raised beds. A fence - and a tall one - is in order if dogs are out the question or just not working. See complete fencing recommendations over at the University of Vermont extension website. Just be sure to consider whether or not a fence will cast shade on your garden. Many gardeners have great success laying out netting, such as the type used to deter birds. The deer are afraid to get tangled up in it, and stay away from anything covered with it. Another possibility is something smelly. There are products available designed to deter deer by smell, and some people use everything from urine to rotten eggs - but none are 100% effective, and many are smelly to humans, too. (From everything I've read, it seems coyote urine, which is sold for this purpose, is the most effective of the "smelly" methods.) Link

Visual deterrents, like motion detecting flood lights, motion detecting sprinklers, and CDs hanging from trees may work - but only temporarily. Once the deer become used to these things, they become bold again.  

Raccoons These four legged pests are common in all areas except major cities; you may see them in your yard, or you may see they've been getting into your garbage can or compost bins. (In which case, you should replace the cans and bins with those that lock.) You may also find produce with tell tale large teeth marks, or paw prints in soft or wet soil. (Here's an image of corn eaten by racoons; the stalks will be pulled down, too. Here are melons and zucchini squash eaten by racoons.) Once again, dogs will probably deter racoons better than anything else. An electric fence may work, too - although racoons are pretty darn smart and if they want the stuff in your garden badly enough, they'll likely find a way through the fence; even low level electric fences aren't friendly to children or pets, either. A better solution may be to put wooden fence posts in the soil and line them with chicken wire that rises well above those posts, creating a floppy top. If a critter tries to climb the fence, he'll find the top very unstable and will (theoretically) decide to eat elsewhere. I have read that racoons dislike cucumbers; some gardeners I know plant thick "walls" of cucumbers around the crops racoons like best, such as corn and squash.

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Smelly things and visual deterrents, such as those mentioned for deer, may or may not work for raccoons. I've read that sprinkling Cayenne pepper may be the best deterrent along these lines. Trapping works better, especially if you start in the spring, before their favorite crop - corn - is sweet and tender. But get some help on this. Racoons will bite, and they can carry rabies. Squirrels Squirrels seem like pretty cute and harmless critters...until you plant some edibles. Then you discover they can ravage a garden. You may see squirrels in the garden, if they are feeling especially bold, but you're more likely to see small footprints and smaller bites left on your produce. (See some squirrel damage on a pumpkin and some pears.) To start, remove any squirrel-friendly feeders in your yard, even if they are meant for birds. (For bird feeders that are squirrel proof, look here.) Smelly stuff doesn't work well for squirrels. Trapping isn't effective either because there are simply too many squirrels out there; you can get rid of some, but more will "move in." Fox urine (sold in gardening centers) will work for a time, but eventually the squirrels realize no fox is present and continue with their naughty practices. An electric fence is considered the best solution - but obviously isn't appropriate if children or pets will be near the garden. Netting will work, too. If the primary problem is squirrels digging in the garden, an effective solution is to lay down thick landscaping fabric and cover it with mulch. 




Rabbits Recently, I was shocked to find rabbit footprints in the snow in our yard. In fact, at first I dismissed the idea they could be rabbit tracks. We don't live near the woods or in the country. But I've since learned there is quite a population of domestic rabbits gone wild in our suburban area. This may explain some of the pesky activity in our garden that I've blamed on other critters. You may find rabbit footprints in wet soil or snow, but it's more likely you'll just notice certain plants trimmed down. Using raised beds will keep rabbits out, as long as they are at least 2 feet tall. Where jackrabbits roam, make them 3 feet tall. A fence 36 inches high and made of mesh no bigger than 1 inch will also keep rabbits at bay, as long as the crop stays several inches away from the fencing. Make sure the bottom edge of the wire is turned outward at a 90-degree angle and buried 6 inches in the ground; this will help prevent Peter Rabbit from digging under. Trapping is also effective, especially if begun in winter.  

Opossums They love tomatoes - and sometimes other goodies from the garden. Happily, they tend to eat and run, never to return. But if you see their tracks regularly, or you find damage similar to that of racoons, trapping is the best solution. You may want to call in the pros, though, since opossums are aggressive critters who can carry rabies.  

Birds Most of us like birds, and they can be a boon to the garden when they eat "bad" bugs. However, they may also eat things like berries and fruit. Experience tells me to plan to loose a little bit of my crop to the birds - and that netting will deter the birdies from taking too much. Cats help, too.  

Groundhogs Not only can groundhogs (a.k.a. woodchucks) ruin a garden, but they are aggressive and can carry rabies. It's difficult to detect whether groundhogs are to blame unless you see them, their footprints, or their mounds. Fencing is the best solution for groundhogs; it needs to be 5 feet tall and the bottom 18 inches should be underground. The top of the fence should be bent outward, so the determined groundhog falls off the fence and away from the garden. Trapping also works.

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Gophers These little guys are tough to repel. They are mostly recognized by their tunneling or holes. Some say castor oil sprayed throughout the garden works, but if gophers are a serious problem, you'll need to raise up your garden beds and line them with hardware cloth and mesh. For plants gophers especially like, you may also purchase wire baskets (made for the purpose) to protect the plant's roots.
 

Voles Voles are mostly recognized by their tracks and holes. Their tunnels can damage the roots of plants - and sometimes the critters chew on roots, too. Mowing your lawn (if you have one) can discourage them from hanging out at your house, as can regular weeding. Plants can also be fenced with 1/4 inch hardware cloth buried 6 inches into the soil and reaching over a foot above the ground.

Not sure what is digging around in your garden? Read this article over at the University of Minnesota Extension website. Share|

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