# What to use to keep animals from eating the garden?



## SAWFISH (Jun 29, 2018)

What do you use to keep the rabbits, deer and woodchucks from eating your garden? I see tractor supply sells a spray mix, does that actually work?

Thanks,

Brian


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## diezelsmoke (Jun 29, 2018)

Lead!


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## SAWFISH (Jun 29, 2018)

diezelsmoke said:


> Lead!


I do that when I see them but they come in at night usually..


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## sonny580 (Jun 30, 2018)

Fencing is the only sure way, but as far as sprays, they don't do a great deal of good,--- at least not here! Traps are the next best for groundhogs but rabbits won't go in them. 
I just got thru putting up woven wire fencing for my bigger garden and it would still need smaller wire for rabbits/ghogs, and then they can still dig under unless you install in ground barriers 2 feet deep.
The easiest way would be a temporary electric fence.--the electric rope worked well for us a few years ago before I got the rabbit problem down a bit.---- first line 4 or 5 inches above ground, second line 5 inches, then space the rest of the lines farther apart with the top wire at 6 to 7 feet. The big deer we have will stay away from the electric stuff once they get zapped a time or two.---They may even tear the fence down ,but just put it back up and they will soon obey it. thanks; sonny580


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## blades (Jul 2, 2018)

Lead and night vision - more fun than zapping them.


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## sonny580 (Jul 4, 2018)

YA!!!!---but can't work all day and sit up all night waiting for varmints to come, IF they pick the same night we are out there!--- Very effective IF you can get a bead on them!! LOL!!!
Traps for smaller varmints don't work too well but I have gotten a few coons, possums, skunks, etc. in live traps but not the coyotes, deers, and stray dogs that run thru here.
Chemical repellents seam to draw varmints in instead of detering them. thanks; sonny580


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## northwest saws (Jul 5, 2018)

I have 7 foot tall hog wire and welded wire with hardware cloth at the base, buried a little of the base too. So far it’s deer, rabbit, varmint and chicken proof. Although there’s a damn cat that keeps coming in time to time and taking a dump.


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## Huskybill (Jul 6, 2018)

They have cracked corn and scraps to eat away from my garden. They hit my birdfeeders. I have wild turkeys, blackbears, raccoons, squirrels ect at the bird feeder. The garden they don’t know the blueberries bushes are there yet, I planted extra fruit trees for the animals but they don’t share. They don’t eat my tomatoes, green beans, squash yet.

I spent $75 on corn seed and everyone ate corn the crows were the worst. I don’t mind sharing I just plant more than I need. There’s no better feeling when the wild turkey hen shows up here with her eight little chicks.

Incase of a natural disaster they could become food really quick.


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## muddstopper (Jul 6, 2018)

I fought the deer and rabbits for years. I finally put up a 4ft hogwire fence this spring. I cemented 8ft wooden post in the corners and put 6.5ft tposts every 10ft. Now I honestly dont think that will keep deer out, heck they can about step over it. Once I got the garden planted I took carpenter string and criss crossed, about head high, post to post across the garden. I then hung red flagging tape just about touching the ground, from the string. I can see 10 or 12 deer every night in the field around my garden, but so far, they havent even made a track in the garden. I think the string waving in the slightest breeze keeps them scared off. Even the crows havent been in the garden. Rabbits, well they get lead poison everytime I see one. Now that I posted this, I'll probably go out in the morning and everything will be trampled and eaten. If that happens, I have the deer trained to just stand there when I put a spot light on them. They see the light so much they seem to have lost their fear of the light and me standing there holding it.


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## Mycrossover (Jul 23, 2018)

That stuff at TSC is called liquid fence. It smells like rotten eggs and has to be reapplied if it rains. I think it kept the deer away but I don't really feel qualified to give it a thumbs up or down. I moved my tomatoes to my raised deck in containers and so far the varmints have not climed the stairs but I did see a racoon up there one night.

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## Huskybill (Jul 23, 2018)

I have a mini farm. For ten years nothing touched my blueberry bushes. We got about a gallon of fresh blueberries and within a few days the bushes are cleaned. These bushes grow to 6’ high and there only 3’ high now. I have about 125’ of blackberries and red raspberry bushes for the wild life. I feed the rabbits too.

I hope they don’t get my tomatoes.


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## crowbuster (Aug 4, 2018)

nuther vote for fence


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## Huskybill (Aug 5, 2018)

I took in the bird feeders two weeks ago. I been telling the misses to bring them in. Finally the bear cub hasn't been seen. But today the wife was outside and the cub was in the ivy bushes near her. I have tons of berry bushes all over the yard. She ran around the house since the bear was blocking the path to the door. The bear went into the berry bushes. I'm trying to live with the bear to co exsist. Any reports on pesky bears they kill them. I'm only seeing one of three bears I have. We throw bird seed in the lawn for the birds and turkeys.
With all the turkeys and there chicks I have no ticks. Just a pia bear.


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