Animals Eating Garden Or Landscaping



Whether you have a garden or simply take great pride in your landscape, it can disheartening to realize that animals have been eating your plants. To wild animals, your landscaping and garden are simply another food source and if you have plants that they enjoy, they will continue nibbling on your garden until you do something about it. The good news is that there are multiple techniques that will help you deter animals from eating your plants, no matter what animal is to blame.

Common Culprits

There are an incredible number of wild animals which could be to blame for the destruction of your plants, but some are more likely culprits than others. Each of these will have their own eating patterns, making it slightly easier for you to determine which animal is eating your garden so you can create a targeted defense.

  • 1. Deer - Deer will typically create ragged bites that are at least a foot above the ground. Deer will eat a wide range of plants, including ornamental plants such as daylilies and daisies.
  • 2. Chipmunks - Chipmunks will dig up roots, uproot plants, or damage plant leaves and shoots or flower bulbs. Their burrows are typically hard to spot since they are only around 2 inches across.
  • 3. Groundhogs - Groundhogs are herbivores who are also known for garden damage. They will eat almost all green plants and you can identify them by their dirt mounds next to burrow entrances.
  • 4. Rabbits - Rabbits tend to limit their damage to within a few inches of the soil and will clip the stems neatly along an angle. They tend to eat most plants, such as woody plants, flowers, and vegetables.
  • 5. Squirrels - Because squirrels live in colonies, they can cause a great deal of damage to your landscape. They will dig mounds and underground tunnels by trees or grassy areas and this leads to garden destruction.
  • 6. Voles - Voles are more likely to eat plant roots or flower bulbs close to the ground. There will also be teeth marks by tree bases, trails or droppings, and exit holes near the garden.


Install A Barrier Fence

One of the most effective solutions to stop animals from eating your garden or landscape is to install a barrier fence around the area in question. This is generally easier to do for a garden than landscape, but you can always protect specific plants in your yard. If deer are to blame, remember that they can jump high so you need to make the fence 8 feet high. Also aim to bury the fence at least a foot or so underground to prevent burrowing animals from digging under it.

Use A Spray

If you are worried about a fence affecting the aesthetics of your landscape or making it more difficult to tend to your garden, there are other options. You can find plenty of store bought sprays to deter animals or make your own. There are options that can be sprayed on the plants themselves and those to spray on the soil. You can try making a homemade spray with chili powder, scented soap, or rotten eggs. Just keep in mind that sprays will wash away when it rains so be ready for semi-frequent reapplication.

Plant Undesirable Foods

A simple solution to get animals to stop eating your garden is to stop planting the foods they like. Instead, opt for greenery that the animals don't like. Deer, for example, don't like plants that are poisonous, highly aromatic, or have fuzzy leaves. Deer, rabbits, and other wild animals may also be deterred by lavender, chives, marigolds, onion, or garlic. For this method to work you don't have to get rid of all your favorite plants; simply interplant these undesirable ones between them or use them to form a perimeter.

Mulch Your Plants

your plants is known for helping them stay hydrated and adding nutrition, but it can also deter wild animals from eating them. The great thing about this solution is that it works just as well in a garden as in your landscape as a hole. The majority of animals don't like to walk on mulch without being covered with weeds. Pick any mulch you like, such as wood bark, straw, or dried evergreen needles.

Use Scare Tactics

When the animals continue to eat your plants, consider scare tactics to turn them away. You can surprise them with loud noises or water via motion-activated systems. Or if you have been considering getting a dog, go ahead and do so; he will keep the pesky animals away.

Make A Feeding Area

If all else fails, you can always create a designated feeding area for the wild animals. This would involve picking a remote area of your property to sacrifice and filling it with the plants that these animals enjoy. As long as the area is far away from your garden or the landscape that you want to protect, it should keep them away. Keep in mind, however, that this could potentially attract more animals to your property so be cautious.

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