Both gardens built for appearance and those built for food are at risk of being attacked by neighborhood pests. It can be incredibly frustrating to work for months on a garden, only to have limited success due to furry vandals like rabbits, deer, mice, and raccoons. Critter Control of the Triangle has gathered quite a few tips to prevent this from occurring, though, and gladly share them below with our friends in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill, and the greater Triangle.

1. Build a fence – This is a pretty straightforward piece of advice. If the pests can’t physically get to your plants, they can’t eat them. In order for it to be an effective fence, it’ll have to be strong enough, tall enough, and deep enough. For this, you’ll want to build up about three feet, bury another six inches to a foot underground, and use a material that will be sturdy enough not to be torn down. Chicken wire or wood are common materials.
2. Scare them off – It may seem silly, but there is a reason farmers would put scarecrows in their fields. When animals don’t feel safe going after a particular food supply, they’ll look elsewhere. Consider making a little scarecrow for your garden, or if you’re more of a modern gadget person, invest in motion sensor lighting or sounds that respond to the presence of pests.
3. Get a guard dog (or cat) – Are your household pets doing their fair share around the house or are they getting room and board without much of a contribution? Put them to work by having an outdoor dog or cat trained to keep an eye on your garden. Cats are especially good at killing small mammals like rodents, and dogs can chase off deer and raccoons.
4. Eliminate debris on your property – If the pests can set up shop in a pile of yard debris, junk, or overgrown foliage, they’ll be hard to keep away from your garden. Eliminating places for them to hide out will discourage them from spending time around your garden.
5. Consider a raised bed garden – Raised bed gardens are en vogue right now, anyway, but they also serve a few practical purposes. One of these is that smaller mammals, including many of the common culprits for being garden pests, have more difficulty reaching the plants. Animals will follow the path of least resistance, and if your garden requires a climb and another food source doesn’t, they will be less likely to bother your hard work.
6. Plant things they don’t like – You’ll want to make sure to plant things that appeal to YOU. However, planting additional things can deter pests. Some plants that are known to deter pests are cucumbers, onions, squash, marigold, catnip, and lavender. These deterrent plants can be planted along the edges to mask the more appetizing things within.

Critter Control of the Triangle serves Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill, Morrisville, Apex, Wake Forest, and other towns around the Triangle area of North Carolina. Call us today at 919.382.0651.