Wildlife or Pest?
Most of us enjoy watching wildlife in our yards--it's one of the pleasures of gardening. But some animals are not as well-mannered as others. They trample, eat, tunnel, rub bark, or otherwise tamper with our hard work.
Some techniques work better than others for dealing with these pests. Hence, garden consultants advise the best approach is to try one method until the pest gets wise to it, then switch to another.
Moles, Voles, and Mice
Moles, voles, and mice are the "three mouseketeers" of the garden. Voles and mice may gnaw the bark of young trees and munch on below-ground roots, but generally they're not after your garden plants. And remember that they are a food source for hawks, owls, and snakes.
Mice reside in underground holes. They can be eliminated by poison pellets, but be careful that cats and dogs do not feed nearby. Another alternative is to catch them in mousetraps baited with lunchmeat or peanut butter.
Voles live in holes similar to mice; their damage is similar, too. They can go after roots and cause damage to spring bulbs and shoots on young trees.
Moles eat insects, but their tunnels (usually seen as raised earth running along the lawn) can damage plant roots. Moles like earthworms, slugs, and grubs. They are particularly damaging in late summer when Japanese beetles are in the grub stage under the lawn. Granular bait for voles and moles may help if baits are placed in active tunnels or runways. Mole repellent is an option to poison, but has limited efficacy.
Chipmunks
Chipmunks dig up and nibble plants, especially recently planted ones. Bulbs are a common target. Protect new plantings until they begin to mature and the chipmunks' interest in them will fade.
Rabbits
Rabbits are notorious for eating vegetables and flowers. A pest for all seasons, rabbits especially love the bark of dogwood trees. If their damage circles the tree trunk, the tree will not survive. Lesser damage may heal, but the overall health of the tree may still be compromised.
Control rabbits by using chicken wire fencing or by using labeled deterrents on foliage and bulbs.
Fences to exclude rabbits need to be at least two feet tall. Bending the bottom six inches outward at a 30- to 45-degree angle will prevent rabbits from burrowing beneath the fence. This is a good solution for vegetable gardens.
Squirrels
Squirrels eat bulbs and chew on the bark of young trees. Especially active in spring and summer, they usually go after tulips first, then daffodils in early growth. Repellents, usually in liquid form, may help if applied to bulbs before planting.
Groundhogs
Groundhogs will eat vegetables and flowers, the greenery on shrubs, and sometimes tree bark. They dig holes--huge holes--and have been known to scale low fences. Homeowners can erect a 36" wire fence and pull the bottom about 6-11" across and under the ground so these rodents can't burrow be-neath it.
Skunks
Skunks have a voracious appetite for insects, vegetables, berry bushes, and garbage. In addition to damaging lawns as they root for insects, they are a nuisance because of their odor and a threat because they can carry rabies.
Skunks will go after grubs in the lawn at night in the late summer grub season. Use of a grub control will eliminate this food source. Like rabbits, skunks can be fenced out.
Cats and Dogs
Cats can be a problem, but only because they use flower beds as litter boxes. Give them another option. Since cats like ground that is loose, provide an unobtrusive place with sand and they may be enticed away from the garden beds.
Dogs, which leave a round, bare, brown spot where they have urinated, are best managed with fencing or leashing. Dog and cat repellents are generally not very effective.
Deer
Deer can do tremendous damage. They feed on garden and landscape plants and rub the bark off young trees with their antlers. If the weather is harsh, they'll eat nearly any plant they can reach, and often kill or damage young shrubs and trees.
There are numerous repellents on the market for deer. Consistent use of chemical repellents may be a temporary deterrent, especially if deer traffic is light or the deer have not become accustomed to feeding in the area. Alternating different formulations is more effective than constantly using the same repellent.
Netting can be used; deer can't chew through it. A fence is effective if it is about eight feet tall so deer can't jump over it, and low to the ground so they can't squeeze under it. Deer don't like to leap a barrier that is high and wide, so if you use a fence, make it as wide as it is high by installing it at a 45-degree angle, sloped away from your property.
Other measures include laying a band of wire fencing flat on the ground or using an electric fence in a straight, slanted, or double-fencing arrangement.
Urine (human or coyote) is reported to be effective, but it must be reapplied after each rain. Human hair from a barber shop or salon sometimes offends deer, as does blood meal.
Other methods include placing radios, blinking lights, or motion-triggered water sprays in the garden to frighten deer, but these tend to be short-term solutions, if they work at all.
Deer are a major challenge in our area, and are particularly difficult to discourage once they have become used to feeding in a particular area. For this reason, it is best to begin a deterrent program early and be consistent throughout the growing season.
