Dealing with Animal Pests (Rabbits, Deer, Squirrels)

Erect appropriate fencing around your garden perimeter to create a physical barrier against animal pests. For rabbits, use chicken wire or hardware cloth at least 2 feet high, buried 6 inches deep or bent outward at ground level to prevent digging underneath. For deer, fences need to be 7-8 feet…

Place floating row covers or construct small cages and cloches from chicken wire or hardware cloth around specific plants or raised beds. This shields high-value crops and vulnerable seedlings from rabbits, squirrels, and browsing deer without fencing the entire garden.

Apply scent-based or taste-based animal repellents to plants and around the garden border. Commercial products use ingredients like predator urine, rotten eggs, capsaicin, or essential oils that animals find unpleasant. Homemade alternatives include hot pepper spray, soap shavings, or scattered…

Choose plants that are naturally less palatable to common animal pests. Many plants deter browsing due to fuzzy or prickly texture, strong aroma, or toxicity. Good choices include daffodils, lavender, mint, rosemary, onions, rhubarb, and squash vines. Interplant these among more desirable crops to…

Use devices that startle animals away from your garden, such as motion-activated sprinklers, reflective tape, pinwheels, or noisemakers. Unexpected bursts of water, flashing light, or sudden sounds frighten deer, rabbits, and squirrels. Relocate scare devices every few days so animals do not become…

Remove brush piles, tall grass, and dense ground cover near your garden to eliminate the shelter that rabbits, groundhogs, and other pests rely on. Keep the lawn mowed short and clear debris from around garden edges. An open, exposed area around the garden makes animals feel vulnerable to predators…