Few things are more satisfying than tending your garden and watching your hard work evolve into a vibrant harvest. Whether your harvest consists of edibles, cut flowers, or simply a veritable feast for the eyes, damage from marauding animals can turn your dream garden into a nightmare. Unfortunately, wildlife often sees your garden as their convenient all-you-can-eat buffet. From birds and squirrels snacking on your tomatoes to deer and rabbits devouring your leafy greens and hostas, keeping these hungry critters at bay is a challenge gardeners everywhere face.

• Birds: Pecking at fruits, seeds, and young plants during the day. Leaf edges or blooms can be notched or shredded--primrose are sometimes damaged this way. Sapsucker feeding appears as a group of very regularly spaced holes in trunks of trees such as apple, birch, maple, and pine, unlike borer damage that has a random pattern. Repeated feeding may girdle the bark, causing the area above the damage to die back. 

• Deer: Munching on tender greens, beans, buds, leaves, and just about anything in sight usually from dusk to dawn, with heavier browsing in winter. According to the Morton Arboretum, an adult deer can consume as much as 4 pounds of woody twigs per day! As deer lack upper incisors, feeding damage will not look clean-cut as it does with rodents. Stems, twigs, and leaves may look torn, ragged, or shredded, anywhere from ground level to about 6 feet up, usually with smaller amounts of damage but on multiple plants. In addition, you may notice that while the leaf has been eaten, the petiole, or the leaf stem, remains. New transplants may be pulled completely out of the ground when not yet rooted in.

Other signs include hoof prints that show two distinctive toes, and perhaps small, pellet like scat. Deer often create visible flattened paths through grass leading to your garden. Deer are quite habitual, often following the exact same path at the same time through a neighborhood night after night. This can work to your advantage - if their habit can be interrupted they may choose a new trail that bypasses you, at least for a while. If the area cannot be fenced or caged, then a combination of repellents and scare tactics can be employed.

• Rabbits: Nibbling leafy vegetables and low-growing plants. They tend to target young, tender plants, eating low to the ground (usually under 2 feet), neatly snipping stems at an angle, leaving no ragged edges. Woody twigs and bark may be consumed during winter if suitable leaves are scarce. As is the case with crepuscular animals, the  majority of feeding is done during dawn and twilight hours. You might see small, oval tracks with a paired pattern from their hind legs, or round, dry pellets near the base of the plants. If you're really unlucky, you might find burrow entrances 6-12 inches wide.  Repellents and scare tactics can be effective, but a physical barrier is the only assured way to prevent damage.

• Voles and Shrews: These small mouse-like mammals feed on underground roots and stems near the soil line. You may see chewed bark at the base of shrubs. Continued feeding that goes unnoticed may result in otherwise unexplained dieback of plants due to underground root loss. Shallow, flat tunnels 1- 2 inches deep can be found criss-crossing beds, often just under a heavy mulch layer--a good reason not to mulch too deeply.  Using sharp gravel or grit around plant roots (like Espoma "Soil Perfector") can discourage them; once gone they should be fenced out with a physical barrier that extends underground. Repeatedly opening and spraying tunnels can force them out, but consistency is key. 

• Squirrels: Active during the day, stealing fruits, digging up bulbs and seeds, and causing general mischief. Chewed twigs, collected for their buds or seeds are cleanly cut, as with pruners - these may litter the ground beneath where they have been foraging. Maple and elm trees are preferred in spring and oak and walnut in fall. Bark may be stripped when food is scarce or for nesting purposes. Small areas of freshly dug soil can indicate new thievery, especially of bulbs, or digging of previously cached food. Irritatingly, they seem to enjoy partially eating or tasting every fruit, rarely totally consuming them. Bulbs can be planted in wire cages or wire mesh can be pegged down over where they are planted.  Note that squirrels can chew through regular chicken wire so a heavier gauge mesh may be needed. Physical barriers in combination with repellents when needed is the best approach. Any birdfeeders should be located far from your vegetable garden!  Also ask your neighbor to perhaps stop feeding them those peanuts that they're burying in YOUR garden.

• Moles: Moles eat grubs and insects in the ground, not plants. Their tunneling can be destructive in lawns or beds, disturbing roots. Tunnels are usually raised and noticeable. Sprays or granules containing castor oil or ultrasonic devices may encourage them to move elsewhere; otherwise, trapping may be needed.

• Slugs and Snails:  These feed mainly at night, and you may find shiny, slimy trails near plants or on leaves, particularly after rain or in damp conditions. Large slugs usually feed from the leaf edges in, but smaller slugs and snails can leave random small holes. Spreading sharp grit or crushed eggshells around the base of plants can have some effect or they can be trapped in a cup of beer set into the ground. Repellent granules are also available, or copper-impregnated collars can be placed around young plants.

• Hornworms:  Just one of these nasty creatures can defoliate a plant seemingly overnight, but usually only one plant at a time, which makes this distinct from animal feeding. Tomatoes and peppers are most commonly victimized, but any nightshade is a possible host. Despite their hefty 3 to 4 inch size, they are particularly well-camouflaged and difficult to locate. Very small pellets of black frass (caterpillar poo) may be seen on the ground. The tobacco and tomato hornworms are the larval forms of sphinx moths. Individual caterpillars can be hand picked as soon as they are noticed.  If you see what looks like grains of rice along the back of the hornworm, let it be, as these are the eggs of a predatory wasp that once hatched will consume the beast and go on to parasatize any others that may be lurking.

• Cabbage White butterflies:  These common and inconspicuous butterflies lay eggs on brassica plants including broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and both edible and ornamental kale. Small holes appearing in the leaves are usually the first sign of larval feeding. Small light green caterpillars may be found hiding deep under the leaves. These can do a lot of damage quickly due to the number of caterpillars that may be active at one time. Either exclude them with netting during egg-laying season or plan on treating the plants with Bt, Bacillus thuringiensis, a natural bacteria that only harms the caterpillars and is safe for edibles when used as directed.

• Japanese beetles, sawflies, rose "slugs": These insects skeletonize leaves, leaving nothing but the veins - no type of animal feeding causes this pattern. Other than pesticides, hand-picking is the best option.  Rose slugs are also sawfly larvae, and as such are not true caterpillars, so the organic Bt will not be effective.  Hosing them off the plant is an option, as they are unable to climb back up. Beetles can be knocked off into a pail of soapy water. Trapping beetles can work, but involves luring them in the first place. So, if your property is not large enough to put traps a good distance away from the plants you need to protect, then this is NOT a good option. Lawns should be treated for grubs to minimize populations in subsequent years - or leave those moles alone and let them do it.

Repellents are easy to use and excellent for smaller areas or for targeting particularly "tasty" individual plants within larger beds. Bulbs can be sprayed and allowed to dry before planting. If you're only dealing with smaller animals remember you only need to spray the lower area of the plants, but you will need to spray higher if deer are your problem. Repelling by scent is preferable to repelling by taste, of course, since hopefully nothing would get close enough to nibble anything.

If you don't wish to spray the plants directly you can spray landscape ties, the outsides of containers and raised beds, or spray and hang rags near the plants. Indirect spraying works best for animals like squirrels that aren't as dependent on your plants for survival--this may be less effective with deer and rabbits, especially during the winter.

• Ready Made Animal Repellents: Commercial repellents designed to deter animals like deer, rabbits, and squirrels are available. These often use scents or tastes that animals find unpleasant. Some popular options include those based on garlic, hot pepper, or predator urine. Look for organic versions for the safest and most environmentally friendly options, and be sure it's safe for edibles if using in your vegetable garden. 

  
  

  Applied to dry foliage, many will become rain-resistant after drying for several hours. On average, it is recommended to reapply every 30 days. Some repellents like Plantskydd are offered in a powder concentrate that can be mixed differently for maximum 90-day protection for dormant season plants (when deer browsing is heaviest) vs. a lighter dilution rate for plants in growth. In general, concentrated formulas are more cost-effective, making them a savvy choice for protecting larger areas of your landscape from animal damage. A simple pump sprayer will make the task quick and painless.

  
  

  There are also granular options that can be easily sprinkled around and under plants. These work well for protecting bulbs and plants from "low feeders" like rabbits, voles, and squirrels, or against deer when shrubbery is 2 feet high or less.

• DIY Repellents: If you prefer homemade solutions to protect plants from animal damage you can make your own deterrent by mixing water with garlic, castor oil, hot pepper, or even rotten eggs. A drop or two of dish soap will help the spray stick. You can add strongly scented herbs like rosemary, thyme, mint, or lavender to make the scent less objectionable to humans--you can boil the herbs in water and add the "tea" to your mixture. Spray this mixture around the perimeter of your garden to discourage foraging, and into any tunnels or burrows you may find.

  
  

  You can also try sprinkling ground cayenne pepper or powdered garlic around and under plants or where bulbs have been planted to deter small mammals. Netting bags filled with human hair or bars of fragrant soap can be tied to fences and trees to help discourage deer.

• Aromatic Plants: Plant strong-smelling herbs like lavender, rosemary, or mint near the garden’s edges, or use them to surround vulnerable plants. Incorporate marigolds, which deter rabbits and some insects.  

• Expert Tip: No matter which repellent formula you use, animals can become "nose-blind" to them with continued exposure. Have at least 2 different repellents in your arsenal, and rotate them every 30-60 days. Be sure that the formulas contain different ingredients - for instance, rotate an egg and garlic based mixture with a dried blood formula like Plantskydd.

Not usually a first-line approach, but these can be effective in certain situations, or in combination with other methods of protecting your plants from animals. If you can repeatedly scare deer off from taking their usual route across your property you may be able to make them change their travel patterns and bypass your garden. 

• Motion-Activated Sprinklers: These devices release a burst of water when they detect movement, scaring off animals like deer, rabbits, and squirrels without harming them. This is a non-invasive and effective method for larger gardens.

• Fishing Line Barrier: While not strong enough to fence off an area, the benefit is in the confusion effect. Stringing fishing line horizontally at one foot height intervals across a path or around a bed will disorient deer if they walk into it and cannot see it. The lines must be taut and attached to sturdy posts, trees, or stakes so that they cannot be pulled down. Place the bottom line low enough so that they cannot go under and the highest at least 5-6 feet up. This can also work with any thin cord or string, but the advantage of the fishing line is its relative invisisbility - less obtrusive to the garden view and more confusing for the deer. This can also be done with any thin cord or string, but the more obvious it is the more likely the deer will try to jump over or get around it.

• Reflective Objects: Birds, in particular, dislike bright, reflective objects. Hanging CD disks, aluminum foil strips, or reflective scare tape around your garden can help deter them. You can also use wind chimes or fake predators like plastic owls to make the area less inviting to wildlife. A life-like heron statue near a pond may keep real herons from fishing for their dinner, as they prefer some distance from each other when feeding.

• Motion-Activated Lighting: Might help, can't hurt, and makes things safer for you!

• Ultrasonic Devices: Emit sounds humans can’t hear but can deter deer and rabbits.   

Hoop Tunnels

Hoop tunnels are frames covered with plastic or fabric. These structures provide protection against animal damage when netting is used as well as offering season-extending weather protection when covered with frost blankets or clear plastic. They're especially helpful in the early stages of growth when your plants are most vulnerable. Kits can be customized to the size of your vegetable bed and easily removed for storage when not in use. 

Hoop tunnels are quite handy, and should be in every vegetable gardener's tool kit. In spring, use plastic or frost fabric over the hoops to protect and kick-start early season plants, also warming the soil in readiness for tomatoes and other summer vegetable plants. Change out for netting for spring and summer to guard against insects including egg-laying butterflies. In autumn, frost fabric can be laid over the mesh to preserve harvesting ability for a few weeks. Depending on your zone, a winter crop of greens could be grown under a heat-trapping plastic cover.

Netting and Covers

To protect fruit and vegetables, use netting on individual plants or as row covers. These lightweight, breathable mesh fabrics provide a physical barrier that prevents birds from picking your fruit and keeps small mammals from chewing on your plants while allowing sunlight and water through. Choose the appropriate gauge mesh based on what you are trying to exlude - very fine mesh can even keep out small insects like flea beetles.

• Fruit Tree Netting: Use netting to protect large vegetable plants, figs and fruit bushes and trees - individual plants can be wrapped while fruit is ripening. Be sure the netting is securely fastened, as loose edges can trap birds.  

• Insect Mesh Row Covers: Lightweight mesh row covers are also perfect for protecting leafy greens from cabbage worms and other pests, and strawberries from birds. Covers can be laid directly on plants and will rise up with the plants as they grow.

• Cloche Domes: Ideal for seedlings and young plants, these are easy to place and remove, but must be secured firmly.