Gardening But Animal Eat Them

How to Safely Deter Animals that Steal from Your Garden

Gardeners know there's nothing worse than having a garden full of flourishing fruits, vegetables and flowers only to have it invaded by pests. When local critters have outstayed their welcome, here are 14 ways to safely deter them from your garden.

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cage over vegetable plant Peter Turner Photography/shutterstock

Wire Cloche

If you find one specific plant comes under attack, try using a wire cloche. These are easy to use—just place them over the growing plants in your garden to keep animals from chewing on the delicate leaves. Chicken wire can also be used; just wrap it around the plant and secure it so it creates a little protective cover.

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Hot Pepper Sauce Jiri Hera/Shutterstock

Hot Pepper Sauce

A homemade hot pepper mixture sprayed on your plants will make them taste bad to potential pests and keep animals out of garden. Mix 1 ounce of hot pepper sauce (the hotter the better), 4 drops of natural dish soap and 1 cup of aromatic leaves from plants that rabbits avoid (such as marigolds). Place the mixture in a blender and add a cup or two of water and puree until smooth. Strain the puree to remove any solids, then transfer the mixture to a spray bottle and add water to fill the bottle. Spray the mixture on your garden plants once a week or after every rain. Label the bottle and store the spray in your refrigerator.

Check out these 15 DIY pest control options.

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Store-Bought Repellents Andris Tkacenko/Shutterstock

Store-Bought Repellents

Depending on your pests, you may be able to purchase store-bought repellents that are made to work for specific animals. A popular option is predator urine. Talk to an expert at your local gardening center to see what has worked for other area gardeners.

11 Strategies for Do-It-Yourself Pest Control.

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bird seed for pest control Alexander Mogilevets/shutterstock

Alternative Food Sources

Try providing alternative food sources to distract pests from your garden. Put a bird feeder at each end of your garden. Since many smaller animals will eat bird seed, this might distract some pests. Just be sure to keep the feeders full.

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milk poylock19/Shutterstock

Milk

Milk is a known deer deterrent. Mix 1/4 cup milk (any kind will work) and 4 drops of natural dish soap. Place the mixture in a spray bottle and fill the rest with water. Spray the mixture on garden plants every 10 days and after rain to keep deer away.

Use an empty milk jug as a handy scoop!

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soap MidoSemsem/Shutterstock

Soap

Soap can keep deer and squirrels from munching on your garden. Skewer a bar of soap and stick it into the ground around young plants. The soap should be at a height just above the plants. You can also hang bars of soap around the garden, just wrap the bar of soap in some cheesecloth and attach a rope.

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Prickly Mats fake grass SUJITRA CHAOWDEE/Shutterstock

Prickly Mats

Area cats doing their business in your garden? Keep animals out of the garden by laying down some prickly mats around the garden, as cats won't want to walk across them. Bramble stems will also work as a barrier.

Top 10 DIY Ways to Keep a Cat Off the Kitchen Countertop.

Originally Published: March 18, 2019

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