Tips for Keeping Critters Away and Creating a Wildlife-Proof Garden

Well cultivated gardens are gateways to nature straight from your backdoor. However, what happens when that nature comes knocking? Unexpected visits from local critters can jeopardize the safety of both your garden and your family. Here are some wildlife prevention pro-tips to keep wild animals at bay.

Wildlife Prevention Tips for Your Home and Garden

• Create barriers to keep wildlife out.

The simplest way to keep critters from snacking on your garden produce is to keep them from reaching it in the first place. Creating a safe and secure barrier around your garden is a key step in wildlife prevention and may be the best long-term option for keeping animals out.

For many, this means a fence. While above-ground height requirements will vary depending on what animals you’re looking to keep out of your garden, the fence should also extend at least a foot deep into the ground to prevent unwanted critters from burrowing underneath.

If a fence is not an option for you, raised beds are a reliable option for wildlife prevention, especially at rental properties or for smaller gardens. A raised garden provides self-contained protection for plants without disrupting the surrounding environment and can either be built from scratch or purchased at local retailers.

• Scare wildlife away.

Wildlife prevention is only needed to keep out critters that want to get in. Plenty of simple features can be added to your garden to spook animals away, such as:

• Garden ornaments
  • Faux predator decoys
  • Scarecrows
  • Motion activated lights or sprinklers
  • Strong smelling herbs
  • Reflective plates

Of course, if a critter is clever enough to get past your fence, it may learn to avoid your deterrents. To prevent this, it’s best to cycle through different methods of scaring off wildlife and moving their positions around your garden to keep the animals on their toes.

• Use natural wild animal repellents.

Natural animal repellents are a safe and humane form of wildlife prevention. The key to using them effectively is to understand what animal you’re trying to repel, as not all repellents work for every critter. For instance, certain animals can be turned away by purely organic means, such as scattering coffee grounds around your garden to keep rodents away or putting pepper flakes on the leaves of your plants to ward off raccoons. All it takes is a little research.

Be sure to consistently reapply any repellents, especially after severe weather, and avoid chemical pesticides as they can damage your crop and be harmful to pets and children if accidentally ingested.

While walls, decoys, and repellents may reduce your odds of a wildlife infestation, the best and most effective wildlife prevention strategy is to enlist the services of a wildlife removal professional.

Tried the Rest? Hire the Best at Wildlife Prevention

If you find invasive wildlife on your property, contact the wildlife prevention experts at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh. Our licensed and trained technicians use humane, non-toxic, and eco-friendly methods to remove nuisance wildlife and keep them from coming back.

To schedule your inspection and receive a free estimate for our fast and efficient wildlife prevention and removal services, call Critter Control® of Pittsburgh today at 412-767-4067.