If you go on many nature walks, you might enjoy watching the wildlife. However, you don’t want them to be in your yard when you get back. Deer, rabbits, gophers, birds, and other pests can devastate your yard and garden. However, when these pests can leap, burrow, and fly, you need to think carefully and plan well to build defenses against them.
Pests are less likely to try to invade your yard if they don’t realize there’s anything in there worth munching on. This is why many gardeners choose a solid outer fence for their yard. This fence should be well anchored and tall enough that deer and other animals can’t see through or jump over the fence.
A metal chain link fence can be difficult for medium or large animals to get through. However, the animals can still see through it, so they might try to break through. Instead of replacing your fence, you can use fence weave, like Pexco brand silver fence weave. This will help prevent pests from finding your yard and anything they might like to snack on inside it.
Sometimes smaller critters can sneak through the fence and get all the way to your garden. Vegetables are a common food source for these types of animals, but they also might go after flowers or even seeds and seedlings. You can help protect your garden by surrounding it with mesh or wire fencing.
Chicken wire can’t be chewed through or easily torn, so it is a popular material. To prevent animals from digging under it, bend it at the bottom to create a “skirt” that extends at least one foot from the enclosure. Then cover the skirt with dirt. To keep tunneling critters out, dig a whole or ditch around your garden. It should be a couple feet deep. Then line it with the chicken wire and fill the dirt back in. If you don’t want to use chicken wire, you might also consider strong plastic mesh.
When you’ve surrounded your garden with fences and mesh, you might think your plants are completely safe. However, they’re still vulnerable to pests coming in from above. Birds won’t care about your fences and will happily swoop in to eat your leafy greens or peck at your freshly planted seeds. By putting netting over your garden, you can help keep birds out without reducing your plants’ access to sunlight. Additionally, the netting allows in insects like bees that are necessary for pollination.
When you’ve put a lot of hard work into your garden, you want to keep it safe from creatures who might try to turn it into their dinner. Use these three types of defenses to keep animals out of your yard and garden.
You must be logged in to post a comment.