Diggers and Nibblers – Tips for Keeping Mother Nature's Creatures Away from your Garden

Articles on Gardening | Topics: gardening, gardens, garden

by Gino Quinn

Border Patrol

Yes, most people do like the little critters in the yard. However, they do like the gardens. But gardeners do not like them eating away at all of the hard work done outside. There are different ways to lure the small friends away, but still keeping your garden from harm. Make sure you want to keep the good ones and whisk away the bad.

Animal Repellents

The best way to keep deer and other animals away is to use plants with a bad taste or texture like poisonous or thorny plants. This will not always work though, because in the dead of winter they will go in your garden anyway.

Strangely enough, human hair trimmings are another deterrent. They let out an odor like you are standing right there. You can place them in a stocking either high or low depending on which size animal you are trying to get away. Also shiny objects will sometimes keep deer and other larger animals away.

You can also buy imperial tulip bulbs to repel gophers and moles.

If you look in your kitchen you can come up most of the common ingredients that are used for deterrents. This will be much less expensive then buying the specific products made. For instance, garlic, rotten eggs, hot pepper flakes, vinegar, and dish soap mixed together in the blender then dilute with water. This acts like a spray that is sticky and animals don't like it. You can go to discount food stores to buy ingredients in bulk, which of course saves money. You can also try just the hot sauce alone, as well as the rotten eggs. It beats putting everything in the blender.

A homemade mixture can be used at the base of trees or bushes to keep rabbits from nibbling. Or, you can take an old sheet, soaked in the mixture and wrap it around the trunk.

If you rub elephant garlic on the trunks or plant garlic at the base of the trees, the odor will keep those critters away.

Quote of the Day

the men
Leaving the gardens tidy,
The thousands of marriages
Lasting a little while longer:
Never such innocence again.

—Philip Larkin (1922–1985)

Something that is odd, but apparently works is urine. Can you picture it now, people out in the gardens urinating to keep those animals away? There should be a better route. You can purchase, however, urine of different animals. The odor of these hunter animals will keep animals absent as well.

For those pesky bugs that like to eat the plants, why not plant other flowers that attract ladybugs and praying mantises. These types of bugs like to eat the smaller bugs. Rosemary, fennel, yarrow, angelica, anise and any yellow flowers work quite well. There is a flower called ebony shoofly that its leaves produce alkaloids that bugs will not go near.

Sometimes just using the strength of the water hose will get the little bugs away. This works only as long as they have not completely ruined the plant yet.

Whiteflies like to make their homes underneath the leaves. They can be annoying once they have established their residence, but a high power sprayer will take care of them.

Birds are a great addition to your garden. They like to eat bugs, so therefore bugs don't like them. Many different birds eat different types of insects. A great way to attract purple martins is to cut some holes in gourds and hang them they will love this. Orioles will be attracted to a feeder with orange nectar. Nectar is a good way to get hummingbirds to show up. You can make your own dish by using water, red food coloring, and sugar. Please make sure to change your nectar every day so that bacteria do not form.

Last but not least, you can attract bats. This is not every person's choice of action, but it works for many. Just remember that bats do not like to live alone, if you decide to welcome the bats they will bring many others. Because bats need to be sheltered, you should build a home for them with an entrance on the bottom.

As you can all see, there are many natural and less expensive ways to keep your garden looking fresh? If everyone all could follow these few simple suggestions, everyone would be in the better.

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Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "Diggers and Nibblers – Tips for Keeping Mother Nature's Creatures Away from your Garden" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by FlowersPlantsGardening.com.

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