During the last global recession, there was an emerging trend for growing your own food in your garden. I know a few people who started doing this to save money, and discovered a lifelong hobby in the process! If you’ve been cultivating your garden seriously for a while, then you’ll need to protect it all from hungry animals. Here’s some simple and humane ways you can go about this.

Source: Geograph

Let’s start with rabbits. Although timid, these furry little guys can be a total nightmare when you’re not around to guard your plants. Like most vermin, rabbits aren’t exactly fussy about what they’ll munch on. Having said that, they do tend to gravitate towards pea pods, beans, and beets. I assume you’ve already got a fence that’s taller than a rabbit! However, if they’re really determined they’ll burrow under one of these with relative ease. The next best way of keeping rabbits away from your garden is making it smell dangerous. Soaking a few corn cobs in white vinegar and scattering them around works pretty well. Failing that, you could purchase some fox urine and use it to soak cotton balls. For an economical option, ask your local hairdresser’s for some excess hair, and scatter this around your garden.

Birds might be a little more common as a pest in your garden. The best defence against these is getting a cat – but let’s keep it humane. Birds are easily scared by any kind of intimidating shapes and sounds. Be very liberal with how you define “intimidating” here. Remember that these animals can fly, and have probably spent a lot of their lives soaring suddenly away from danger. Scarecrows can be pretty effective, but I’m guessing you don’t have the time or resources to make one convincing enough. A good alternative is to get a replica owl. Almost every smaller bird is fooled by these. That or they don’t want to take chances! Perch one on your fence or greenhouse, and all those pesky birds will stay the heck away!

Source: Dr Tobler

Finally, deer. Don’t worry, I was as traumatized by Bambi as you were. These creatures are truly beautiful in their grace and general aesthetics, but if they see your plants they’re likely to go crazy! So how do you get around this? You could try scent-based deterrents similar to the rabbit ones. While these can be effective, it can often vary from deer to deer. For a fool-proof plan, I recommend getting some high-quality deer fence. Surround your entire garden with this, and you’ll be able to rest easy knowing your beautiful garden isn’t being touched. Although getting tangled in plastic mesh will scare off most deer, it’s always a good idea to check for damages in the fence.

These tips will keep some of the most common critters in the woods and away from your crops. These solutions don’t cover everything, but after setting them up I’m sure you’ll notice far less damage from animals. Keep trying different measures, and your prized garden will be airtight!