Creating a Wildlife-Proof Garden: Tips for Keeping Nuisance Wildlife Away

As a property owner, you must work hard to keep your yard up to a high standard. Whether you’re focused on the lawn, flower beds or a fruit and vegetable garden, the last thing you need is for nuisance wildlife to come in and tear it up. Here are some wildlife prevention methods to keep nuisance animals away from your garden space.

How to Make a Wildlife-Proof Garden

While you will want certain wildlife in your garden, such as bees and butterflies, other critters may not be as welcome. Below are some easy-to-implement tips to wildlife-proof your garden.

• Fencing and Natural Barriers: Traditional fences with wood planks can add to the well-planned aesthetic of your garden. With fencing, make sure the fence is high enough and buried deep enough to prevent animals from jumping or burrowing their way inside. Your fencing should also have small gaps or consist of mesh fabric to allow your produce to breathe. Natural barriers, like thorny bushes or gravel can also provide an extra line of defense against nuisance wildlife.
• Securing Compost: Nuisance wildlife may be attracted to your garden because of compost piles. While you may see it as spoiled or expired food, critters like raccoons and possums treat compost as a source of nourishment, so keep it in a container with a tightly sealed lid.
• Clean Your Garden: Overripe fruit and vegetables or fallen seeds are a free meal for nuisance wildlife. Clean your garden by harvesting produce as it ripens, and frequently remove debris.
• Install a Deterrent: Most nuisance wildlife are skittish, and will choose to flee if they feel threatened. Use this to your advantage by installing motion-activated deterrents, such as lights or sprinklers. Wind chimes and decoys will also create a disturbance that keeps critters away.
• Repellent Sprays: Whether made at-home or bought in-store, repellent sprays will overwhelm a pest’s sense of smell and send them scurrying. Water diluted with garlic and hot peppers is a natural spray that will scare pests off, as will commercial sprays containing predator urine.

Ultimately, the safest and most effective way to create a wildlife-proof garden is to hire a wildlife removal professional. Unlike at-home methods that can cost you excess time and money, pest control experts have access to the necessary equipment and expertise to guarantee safe and permanent wildlife prevention and removal.

Get Professional Wildlife Prevention with Critter Control® of Pittsburgh

If you’re dealing with nuisance wildlife in your Pittsburgh area garden, rely on the effective, safe and affordable services from the licensed and trained experts at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh. Our experienced team of pest control technicians will quickly and safely remove invasive wildlife from your property and keep them from returning. To schedule your inspection and receive a free estimate for our fast and efficient wildlife removal and prevention services, call Critter Control® of Pittsburgh today at 412-767-4067.