If you have a garden, chances are you know the following two things: it takes way more work to maintain than you thought it would and most of that work is created by pesky critters uprooting your petunias in the middle of the night. Sometimes it doesn’t seem to matter how much you do, these creatures still find a way to get into your garden and wreak havoc on your flowers, fruits, or vegetables. The following five animals are some of the most common suspects, along with some potential solutions for dealing with said invaders.
Canada Geese
Despite their name, Canada geese can be found throughout North America, and have been known to make trips as far south as Mexico. That said, almost everyone in the United States has the potential to come in contact with these animals. The most annoying problem with having geese in the garden, and lawn in general, is the fourteen pounds of droppings they produce every week. Multiply that by an entire flock of these grey and white poop factories, and you have a garden and lawn covered in droppings.
Armadillos
While armadillos certainly do not have the range of Canada Geese, residing mostly in the far Western and Southeastern parts of the US, they can be just as pesky. These animals are known as incredibly versatile diggers, burrowing both to find food and to shelter under your rose bushes. Armadillo holes can range in size, but most are about five inches wide and three inches deep, spelling certain doom for any flowers or other plants that may have roots in that area. For more information on how to get rid of these troublesome pests, go to getridofarmadillos.com.
Raccoons
In addition to getting into your garbage, raccoons can dig up your garden in much the same capacity as an armadillo. While this could spell doom for your flower garden, raccoons are also known to invade vegetable gardens, eating everything from sweet corn to potatoes. Keeping these nuisances away from your garden can be relatively simple. They seem to be driven off by the smell of garlic mixed with chili powder, according to one source, and bright lights or loud noises also tend to deter their antics.
Deer
Deer are much larger than any of the animals previously mentioned and are at least as widely found as the Canada goose. Due to their size, just one of these animals can mow through an entire vegetable garden in a single afternoon. To make things worse, simply having these animals walk through your lawn or flower garden can tear things up completely, ruining all of your hard work. That said, fencing your entire lawn or just the garden itself can be enough to deter these animals, along with strongly scented plants like mint, thyme, and oregano.
Ground Squirrels
As their name suggests, ground squirrels are notoriously good burrowers. Their tendency to hide nuts in the Fall means that they are incredibly busy uprooting existing soil, including the soil found in your garden. Fortunately, a wire fence around your garden can be effective, as long as it is buried deep enough to prevent the squirrels from simply digging under it. In addition, these critters are easily startled, so having a dog or cat roaming the yard can be enough of a deterrent in most situations.