Deer & Squirrels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Problems with Deer and Squirrels in Your Yard?

   

Deer Eating Your Backyard Paradise?

Deer are naturally shy of people. However, they have no qualms about browsing on your shrubbery and flower beds. The only foolproof method is fencing, but this can be expensive and require a lot of maintenance. Planting unpalatable plant varieties can help. Fragrant plants such as Bee balm, Catmint, etc. seem much less attractive than other popular plants such as Day lillies, or Hostas. Researching this can help. Simple methods of hanging bits of human hair and scented soaps on branches has been tried, and one effective method is to mix raw eggs and water in a gallon milk jug and let it ferment in the sun for a few days. Then pour into an ordinary garden sprayer, hold your nose, and spray directly on foliage. The smell will dissipate quickly to you, but not to the deer. This process should be repeated after each moderate to heavy rain.

 

Keep deer out of your garden:

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

  • Aluminum Pie Pans
  • White Bed Sheets – ripped into strips
  • Plastic Grocery Sacks
  • A Guard Dog
  • Woven Wire Fencing
  • Metal T-Posts
  • Barbed Wire
  • Aluminum Tubing – cut into 8 foot lengths
  • Heavy Gauge Wire

Step One:

Tie aluminum pie pans to tree branches or to posts around your garden. The noise from the pans flapping in the breeze may be enough to deter the deer from entering the garden space.

Step Two:

Tie bed sheet strips to posts or branches. The movement may make the deer leery enough to go elsewhere. Alternately, you can use white, plastic grocery sacks.

Step Three:

Train a guard dog to protect the garden.

Step Four:

Build a seven foot high fence around the entire garden. Start by pounding t-posts into the ground. Take a rod of aluminum tubing and slide over the t-post. Attach woven wire to the tubing using heavy grade wire, leaving a gap for a gate. Starting at the top of the woven wire, attach barbed wire every foot until you reach the top of the aluminum tubing. Build a gate with woven wire.

 

Squirrels and Your Bird Feeders!

Did you know that squirrels are one of the most amazing athletes, especially when it comes to lunch at your bird feeder! They are capable of jumping 5 feet vertically, and 10 feet horizontally! Some suggestions are to place your feeder 5 to 6 feet off the ground, and at least 8 feet away from bushes, limbs, railings, or anything that they can use as access to your feeder. There are a variety of feeders available, including ones that will automatically close with the squirrels weight. If all else fails, try setting up a specific feeding station designed just for them in a far corner of your yard. Filling up there may deter them from stopping at the diner for birds! And their antics CAN be extremely entertaining!

Keep squirrels out of your garden:

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

  • Pruning Shears
  • Aluminum Flashing
  • Nails or Screws
  • Chili Peppers: the hotter, the better
  • Motion Detection Sprinkler
  • Bricks, Stones or Lumber
  • Fine Plastic Mesh
  • Squirrel-proof Bird Feeder

Step One:

Wrap 24-inch wide aluminum flashing around the base of tree trunks to prevent squirrels from shredding the bark. Use copper or stainless steel nails or screws to attach the metal to the trunk. (These metal collars will only protect stand-alone trees.)

Step Two:

Keep trees trimmed above fence lines and roofs. Squirrels prefer to travel via overhead highways in the tree canopy. By creating a break in their path, you eliminate the squirrels route into your garden.

Step Three:

Place loose plastic mesh over flower beds at planting time. The plants will grow through the mesh, but squirrels will be prevented from digging.

Step Four:

Use motion detection sprinklers in the garden where squirrels are a problem. A sudden burst of water will frighten them, at least temporarily. Motion detecting lighting is of no use because tree squirrels are not nocturnal.

Step Five:

Cover spring bulb beds with fine plastic mesh. Secure it along the sides of the beds with bricks, stones or lumber. By the time the bulbs are up in the spring, you can gently remove the mesh.

Step Six:

Place ground chili peppers in flower pots and garden beds. Use the hottest chilies you can find, the little Thai chilies are excellent, so are habaneras and cascabellas. The capsicum in the peppers makes for unpleasant digging. The term ‘hot foot’ applies here.

Step Seven:

Rake up under bird feeders, or hang them over paved areas so that you can keep the ground beneath them clean. Squirrels love bird seed!

Step Eight:

Use a squirrel-proof bird feeder. These feeders have cone shaped covers so squirrels can’t slide down the wire to reach the seed.

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Instructions taken from: EHOW.COM