Deer visitors can lend a special atmosphere to those areas where these magnificent animals are plentiful and where they are not afraid of humans. They stand so nobly that we reach for our cameras so we can hold on to the vision for a long time. The little ones are appealing and cute and we want to feed them and make friends of them. However, if you try to grow a garden in an area like this, they begin to look more like pests and less like a picturesque part of the scenery and atmosphere. They seem to find a way to get at anything that is growing, even when you think it's out of their reach. In some areas where deer are a significant nuisance, people sometimes put up electric fences to keep them out.
Coexisting with Deer
You can try scaring them. However, if you’re going to get a dog to do this, get a big one. They won't be deterred by a small dog like a Shih-Tzu. Sometimes, they are not even spooked by a large dog, so if you decide on this course, keep an eye on the situation until you’re sure they won't attack him. You can try imitation snakes and scarecrows, and they sometimes work. You can even put up shiny pie plates or put out a radio or tape player. They will usually back away if they think there's a human presence. Try putting up barriers such as fences. However, some deer can and will go over a 6-foot fence. You might try netting, but it will need to be sturdy or they’ll come through anyway. There are many commercial repellents that may work. Make certain they won't harm the animals, yourself, or your atmosphere. Some have suggested using soap bars, human hair, and pepper sprays.
Dealing with Birds
When growing berries, if you don't do something to protect them from birds, you may end up with very little harvest. They will swoop down on your vines and clean them out in a hurry. Bird problems will probably vary from year to year and certainly from region to region, but you can expect some damage every year. Birds are partial to certain crops, of course, berries being high on the list, and if you are planning to grow them, you also need to plan to deal with the bird problem. The old scarecrow approach may work sometimes, but more is needed. First of all, you need to start early. Decide what your approach will be before the day arrives when your crop is vulnerable. Don't put up scare devices before the fruit is ripe or almost ripe, or the birds will already be familiar with them. On the other hand, don't wait too long, or the birds will know how good the crop tastes and nothing will stop them. There are three ways to do this: scare them, put up barriers, or use repellents. Scare devices include such things as scarecrows, fake varmints, and electronic devices. Barriers such as netting can be effective also. If you decide to use repellents, be very careful about the content. You can do more harm than good not only to the birds but to yourself if the repelling substance is chemical in nature. There are effective organic repellents. Seek them out if nothing else is working. You may end up using all three before you succeed in protecting your precious crop: scare tactics, barriers, and a repellent.
Avoiding Destructive Moles
Is anything more exasperating than going into your vegetable garden and finding tunnels where moles have uprooted your crops and destroyed a lot of the work you've done? They’re after earthworms, of course, their primary source of food, and they need a lot of them because they have a very high metabolic rate. Recommended ways to deal with moles are baiting, gassing, repellent, and trapping. The most humane way to deal with them, of course, is to trap them and remove them to a habitat where they won't do so much harm. You will need to be patient and persistent in order to catch the little rascals, and it's easiest in the spring and fall when mole activity is at a peak. To be successful at trapping, you will need to locate the main mole runways. Here are the signs of a main runway: 1) Follows a more or less straight course for some distance; 2) Appears to connect two mounds or two runway systems; 3) Follows fence rows, concrete paths, or other man-made borders; or 4) Follows a woody perimeter of a field or yard. You can buy humane mole traps at a garden or lawn store.
By TTS Cofounder Omid Jaffari
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