4 Tips For Keeping Small Animals Out Of Your Garden

When you put a lot of time and effort into the garden in your backyard, the last thing you want is for it to be destroyed by the natural wildlife in your area. Rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, feral cats, birds, groundhogs, skunks, and other small animals can wreak havoc on your garden if you don't take measures to protect it. If you're tired of small animals ruining your garden, use the following tips:

Install Decoys in Your Yard

A simple way to keep wildlife out of your garden is by making them fear the area. Animal decoys are widely available-- consider purchasing a life-like owl made out of aluminum, or a larger aluminum coyote. These animals are predators, and smaller pest animals are likely to stay away if they believe that an owl or coyote is near your garden. In addition to scaring away animals, these aluminum animal decoys can also serve as yard art and increase the visual appeal around your garden.

Get Motion Detector Lights

A motion detector light will illuminate when a small animal trips the sensor, and the sudden flash of light is likely to startle the animal trying to invade your garden and cause it to run away. Having several motion detector lights around your backyard can also serve as a security measure and deter human invaders from attempting to break into your home.

Employ Scent Aversion

Animals are very sensitive to the smell of their predators, so consider bringing those smells to your garden area. One of the easiest ways to do this is by applying predator urine around the perimeter of your garden. You can often purchase predator urine products at garden centers, home improvement stores, or from online retailers. There are a wide variety of predator urine products available, from coyote and bobcat urine to wolf and mountain lion. After the product is applied to the area around your garden, it should not have a strong smell that bothers humans, but small animals will be able to detect it and are likely to stay away. 

Set Up a Motion Activated Sprinkler

Few animals like being sprayed with water, so a motion activated sprinkler can be a great option when you're trying to keep small animals out of your garden. Make sure that you purchase a sprinkler that has a wide spray range that can cover your whole garden, or purchase more than one motion activated sprinkler if your garden area is big.

Home and garden stores, like Outdoor Living At Saratoga, can provide more information and advice.

Share