Protecting your Backyard Garden from Raccoons and Other Pests

For many homeowners, one of the most common challenges of maintaining a backyard garden is the threat of raccoons and other pests that try to enter the area. From eating vegetables to digging up the soil for earthworms, it can be difficult to maintain the garden and allow it to thrive with the animals present. To protect your backyard garden and keep the pests away, a garden fence is not the only recourse. There are a few steps to follow to safeguard your property and allow the garden to thrive.

Use a Hot Sauce Repellant

To prevent raccoons and other critters from digging through your backyard garden, apply a hot sauce repellant to the perimeter of the area. Raccoons are sensitive to strong odors and tastes, which will cause them to stray from the area that is sprayed. Try using a homemade mixture of hot sauce, cayenne pepper, and dish soap. This makes for an affordable and easy method that can be sprayed on the perimeter several times a week.

Install a Gallagher Fence

One of the most effective ways of keeping raccoons and pests out of your garden is by protecting it with a Gallagher fence. The electric fence helps to deter animals with a current that works as a psychological barrier and keeps distance between the animal and the premises. If the animals come in contact with the fence, it gives a safe shock that warns the animal or pest to stay several feet away.

Set Live Traps

Live traps are a humane method to keep animals away, and it captures them in the garden before they begin to do any damage. Try using different types of food as bait to capture and lure them in, which can help to alleviate the problem of the intruders entering the garden. Once the animal is in the trap, you can release them several miles away. Check with your state’s laws to ensure that the use of live traps on your property is legal.

Remove Food Sources

Raccoons enter gardens to look for food, making it important to remove pet food or bird seed that may be nearby and is possibly attracting the critters. Keep the food sealed in a garage or away from the garden to ensure that it is out of reach and not easily detectable by animals that are passing by. Berries that have fallen on the ground or nearby trash that is present should also be removed immediately.

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Jason Governo writes on behalf of Farm Supply Store, the Web’s source for electric fencing for home gardens.