{"id":34426,"date":"2025-05-07T10:07:26","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T14:07:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crittercontrol.com\/?page_id=34426"},"modified":"2025-05-07T10:08:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T14:08:14","slug":"how-to-keep-animals-out-of-the-garden","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.crittercontrol.com\/resources\/how-to-keep-animals-out-of-the-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Keep Animals Out of the Garden"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"squirrel<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As spring arrives and we plant our gardens, critters appear as if on cue. They have no idea that they\u2019re creating a nuisance. They\u2019re just trying to find the sustenance they need to survive. Plants are a vital food source for many of the animal species that live around us, and our gardens are attractive to them and easily accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to keep animals out of the garden is a common concern. No one likes to wake up in the morning to find that all their newly planted bulbs have been destroyed, or the vegetables that were thriving have been devastated. Once pests like raccoons in the garden<\/u><\/a> find this food supply, they will not only return for more, but they\u2019ll also look for a safe place nearby to build their nests and burrows. Those safe places will likely be your attic, crawlspace, chimney, or beneath your porch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most Common Garden Pests<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You’ll find different garden pests depending on where you live in the United States. There are some usual suspects like raccoons and squirrels that can be a nuisance in any State. Adept at living among humans, they are frequent visitors to our yards. While many of us enjoy sharing our outdoor space with them, there is a thin line between cute enjoyment and destructive nuisance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the most common nuisance animals digging up the yard<\/u><\/a> and eating up gardens include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Woodchucks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Also known as groundhogs, these stout and hardy creatures eat a wide variety of flowers and vegetables. In addition to being most fond of your leafy greens, they also love marigolds and sunflowers. They build complex tunnel systems underneath your lawn, driveway, and foundation for living, breeding, and hibernating. These tunnels can destabilize your foundation and cause cracks in driveways. The multiple holes used to go in and out of their burrow are also a tripping hazard should you step into one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Mole mound next to raised garden bed. The mole dug under it to get inside the garden. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Moles, a common nuisance in the eastern United States, construct intricate tunnels. While woodchucks will eat above ground, mole damage to the garden<\/u><\/a> includes destroying grass, flower, and vegetable roots as they dig for the worms and grubs that comprise their favorite foods. Moles dig closer to the surface than woodchucks, so their tunnels look like raised lines, often discolored as the grass above them dies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gophers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Different species of gophers are found in the Western United States, Southeast, and some pockets of the Rocky Mountains. All damage to your garden<\/u><\/a> includes creating mounds around their openings and damaging lawns, gardens, irrigation systems, and foundations with their digging and chewing. Gophers love to eat roots, tubers, grasses, flowers, and seeds, damaging shrubs, flowering bulbs, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Voles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While voles will eat insects, they prefer plants and have a similar diet to gophers. Voles will build tunnels above and along the ground, creating unsightly patterns throughout a lawn. Voles are most destructive in winter as they travel under the snow and below ground, eating the roots of trees, shrubs, and bulbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chipmunks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chipmunks can damage foundations, patios, walkways, and driveways with their burrowing. They will also gnaw through electrical wires and eat your bulbs, seedlings, and other plantings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Squirrels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"squirrel<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Squirrels are quite destructive both inside and outside your home. As rodents, squirrels have teeth that grow throughout their lives. To keep them manageable, they gnaw everything from gardens and bulbs outside to wood and electrical wires inside, where they love to nest in attics. When in your attic, they will create a mess with acorns and nuts, as well as their feces. They also bring parasites into your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rabbits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rabbits are a common garden pest that like to eat a wide variety of plants and vegetables. They are also fond of stripping bark off young trees and shrubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skunks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Skunks are omnivores, eating both small mammals and carrion, as well as fruit, berries, and garden crops. One benefit is that they will eat the moles and voles plaguing your garden. Skunk damage includes digging holes in lawns as they scavenge for grubs. It is common for them to burrow under foundations, porches, and sheds, causing instability. This digging can also damage plumbing and electrical systems. Also, of course, their foul odor is unmistakable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Birds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Birds in general, and starlings in particular, are a destructive nuisance to homeowners. Gathering in large flocks, their feces and urine contain a large amount of uric acid, which can erode paint, shingles, roofs, and even metal. They are notorious for building nests in vents, soffits, ledges, and eaves. Starlings in the garden<\/u><\/a> will eat berries and fruit and nip buds from stems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do Deterrents Work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"raccoon<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Garden pest deterrents can work if <\/em>used strategically. Install deterrents early in the season when these critters have not yet established themselves on your property, so they will not choose to build their nest or burrow in your yard, where they will multiply. These animals are also smarter than one would think. They get used to deterrents and begin to ignore them, so the best way to use deterrents is to switch them up and move them around to keep up an element of surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Motion-activated sprinklers use a sensor that triggers a burst of water when an animal enters an area in which you want them to stay away. Proper placement of the sprinkler is key to getting this right, and the water pressure needs to be strong enough to startle the critter. Some more intelligent animals will, over time, learn how to get around it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Scarecrows and predator decoys work when initially introduced, but most animals become accustomed to their presence rather quickly. They are more effective when moved around to better simulate how a live owl or hawk would not always remain in the same spot.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Reflective tape can be an effective deterrent, especially in an area where wind can aid in creating motion. The changing reflections can disorient and frighten animals. Animals also become used to this deterrent, so it is best used in conjunction with another deterrent, such as the predator decoy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Noises such as high-frequency sound are not as effective as other deterrents. Temperature and humidity may negatively affect the performance of these devices, as well as trees and shrubs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Do Repellents Work to Keep Animals Out?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Garden repellents are substances that deter unwanted animals from munching on your plants. Most of these are natural substances that are disliked by animals because of their taste and\/or smell. It\u2019s important to start using repellents before animals start nibbling at your garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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