How To Keep Unwanted Animals Out of Your Yard

Planting trees, vegetables, and flowers are an incredible way to add flair and vibrance to your yard, but you won’t be the only one who loves it. Unfortunately, these beautiful plants also draw various wildlife to your property. You may notice deer, squirrels, raccoons, mice, skunks, and other critters looking for a snack in your garden. Unless you want damaged plants with holey leaves, you may want to learn how to keep unwanted animals out of your yard—read on to find the best strategy for you.

Identify Which Animals Are Invading Your Yard

The first step to removing animals from your yard and preventing them from returning is identifying which ones are invading your garden. Follow along to learn the signs of the most popular wildlife yard and garden invaders.

Deer

Deer love your garden, and they think it’s time for a snack when they see beautiful, healthy plants. Although you don’t want them to eat from your yard, they will help themselves if they can find a way in. Believe it or not, a single deer can eat up to 10 pounds of food each day. You may have deer munching on your plants if you notice missing buds, half-eaten foliage or fruit, torn leaves, or upside-down heart-shaped tracks.

Rabbits

Bunnies may be extra cute, but the damage they can cause is not. Unfortunately, rabbits can destroy an entire flower or vegetable garden overnight. Rabbits may be your garden-destroying culprits if you see carefully trimmed leaves and stems, missing plants, or pea-sized droppings.

Squirrels

Squirrels love to forage for food in yards, and you may notice small holes in your foliage or fruit. Furthermore, squirrels love to steal from bird feeders; if you have one, this may be the main reason they target your property for a food source.

Raccoons

Raccoons are typically active during the night, as they’re nocturnal creatures. That said, they don’t eat your plants; raccoons dig through your trash, search for insects in your yard, eat from bird feeders, or take fish from ponds. These critters may be responsible for the damage if you notice any of the previously mentioned issues.

Groundhogs

Groundhogs are herbivores, that devour leaves, fruit, vegetables, flowers, and more. Additionally, they love to burrow underground. Therefore, they may be responsible for the garden damage if you notice wide teeth marks on your plants and protruding dirt piles throughout your lawn.

Now that you know about the different animals who may come for a snack in your garden, it’s time to consider the possible solutions to stop them. Whether you have one critter or more present, you and your yard can benefit from a few tips on how to remove critters and keep them away.

Remove Possible Food Scraps

Whether you eat outdoors or put scraps in your outdoor garbage can, it may attract wildlife to your yard. That said, you should try to remove food scraps from the area as soon as possible—mice will be on fruit and vegetable scraps quicker than you think. Furthermore, if you’re growing crops in your yard, you should try to harvest them as quickly as possible to prevent animals from eating them first.

Make a Homemade Repellant

Keeping animals away isn’t always simple, but you can make your own repellant to deter them from snacking on your garden. Combine water, dish soap, and hot pepper sauce or ground hot pepper in a blender or food processor. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer the concoction to a spray bottle. Spray it around the outside of your home and the edge of your garden to keep critters out.

Find a Store-Bought Repellant

Although making your own repellant is an excellent option, there’s no shame in buying one at the store. Fortunately, various options on the market are safe to use around your property, as they won’t harm plants, animals, or insects. Just sprinkle or spray the repellant around the affected area, and you should notice fewer animals around.

Keep Your Yard Clean

While you probably don’t clean your yard as you do the inside of your home, you should still keep your yard clean. Avoid keeping piles of wood, overgrown weeds, or other debris around, as these can work as a shelter for various critters. Keeping your property neat and tidy is the best way to maintain your curb appeal, and it discourages animals from hanging out around your yard.

Avoid Bird Feeders

Even though it’s enjoyable to watch birds come up to your feeder, it can also attract other animals that can tear up the rest of your yard. For instance, raccoons and squirrels are two of the most common critters that empty bird feeders. If you want to prevent other animals from spending too much time on your property, you should consider ditching the bird feeder.

Pro Tip

Although you shouldn’t have a traditional bird feeder, you can keep a hummingbird feeder near your window, as it’s not seed but sugar water. This type of feeder is less likely to appeal to other animals besides hummingbirds and honeybees.

Utilize Fencing

Fencing is one of the best ways to keep unwanted critters out of your yard, and you can use it in many ways. For instance, you can put a privacy fence around your entire yard to keep large animals away from your house and plants. On the other hand, you can use smaller fencing to put a border around the perimeter of your garden or a single bush. If you don’t have experience installing a fence, you may need professional help to ensure it’s safe and sturdy.

With that in mind, fencing is one of the most expensive ways to keep critters out of your yard. If you’re not willing to spend the money, consider using one or more of the previously mentioned solutions.

Learning how to keep unwanted animals out of your yard will help you better maintain your plants and trees. Don’t let the fear of animals destroying your garden keep you from searching for blueberry trees for sale. Putting these practices into place can be extremely effective when it comes to removing animals from your property and discouraging them from returning.