The battle to keep pests out of our gardens is probably as old as humanity. Adam and Eve even had some snakes to deal with in Eden. It’s not always clear who the culprit is though. The pests are smart enough to know they should try to avoid detection. If there were an eyewitness, we might be able to have a line-up of the local critters, but often we are just left as detectives looking for evidence at the scene of the crime.

We do have files on some of the most likely suspects though:

Raccoons

These big rascals get themselves on the pest list for all kinds of reasons. Besides messing with your trash and pet food, raccoons are known to attack gardens with no mercy. You can have a full, beautiful crop one day and have it ruined the next. They are especially fond of corn.

Rats

You would rather not think about it, but your delicious vegetables may be visited by disgusting rats. Rats love the soft soil of gardens and are known to build their underground burrows. Up to eight rats will share one tunnel system. They also are omnivores that eat anything humans find edible, so fruits, vegetables and plants are all on the menu.

Snakes

North Carolina has many species of snakes. Many of these will be attracted to the well-watered, highly-vegetated area of a garden. Garter snakes and black snakes are two of the most common and neither of them are venomous. Pit vipers, like moccasins and rattlesnakes, are venomous and do live in the Triangle area, but they also are less common garden pests.

Squirrels

Don’t let the bushy tails fool you; squirrels are very destructive pests to a garden. They love vegetables, fruits and other plant-life, making them a regular trouble-maker for gardeners. They are also very hard to deter because they make their nests high up in trees all over the neighborhood.

Skunks

It’s bad enough getting a scare from a wild animal in your garden. It’s even worse when giving them a scare might get you sprayed with the pungent spray of a skunk. These mammals prefer the insects and grubs around the plants to the plants themselves, but if any leaf or fruit is near to the ground, they will eat that too.

Critter Control of the Triangle

It can be tough to know what animal may be eating your garden. We’ve been cracking cases like yours for many years though, and are pretty confident we can get to the bottom of it. Critter Control has helped to ID garden-munching perps across the Triangle, from Raleigh and Durham to Cary and Apex. Give us a call at (919) 382-0651, and we’ll start the investigation immediately.