animals in the garden

Discussion in 'Fruit and Veg Gardening' started by adam.ca, Jul 18, 2019.

  1. adam.ca

    adam.ca In Flower

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    I'm very frustrated!
    I have groundhog(s) that lives under my shed. its doing damage to my garden, eating some of the plants. it's very frustrating! I've lost an entire row of pees because of it among other things. I have tried putting a chicken wire fence all around, but it just goes right under the fence. I was out there trying to dig a little trench to have the chicken wire fence sunk into the ground a couple of inches, but this is to much work! so I've come up with a new plan, I will cut up some metal coat hangers and bend them into U shapes and "stable down" the fence to the ground so that it cant simply squeeze under. but I'm sure the damn thing is just going to start digging under the fence! so I plan to trap it and set it free in the woods and keep the fencing. then get some kind of ultrasonic /light/sound thingy to scare critters away.

    post your story of critters eating your garden, and how you dealt with it,
     
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  3. Cayuga Morning

    Cayuga Morning Strong Ash Plants Contributor

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    That is SO frustrating Adam! Groundhogs are notoriously difficult to get rid of. We'd get them in our sheep pasture when I was a kid. They can be a hazard to sheep, a sheep can break it's leg in their burrow. We had to shoot them (the groundhogs)

    At our community garden, we folded the fencing in an 'L' shape, laying about a 8-12"of fencing flat on the ground. Then tacked it down with ground staples. Ground hogs (&rabbits) don't know to dig 12" away from the fence. It has worked well.

    Hope this helps
     
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  4. adam.ca

    adam.ca In Flower

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    this is a gr8 solution, I'm going to do that asap!
     
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  5. Dirtmechanic

    Dirtmechanic Young Pine

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    They have sensitive smell. 2 cycle gas is hated. Use its nose against itself.
     
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  6. Netty

    Netty Chaotic Gardener Plants Contributor

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    I had a ground hog that burrowed a hole in the garden. I had read that (used) kitty litter would scare it away, so I dumped a bin full in there and it moved asap!
     
  7. Dirtmechanic

    Dirtmechanic Young Pine

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    I was reading that apples are one recommended groundhog bait.
     
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  8. Growingpains

    Growingpains Young Pine

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    Adam, Live trap and removal was our solution last year. This year they wouldn't enter the trap no matter what bait we used. We used the U shaped wires and it worked. The unfenced areas just suffered until the
    GHs moved away, for whatever reason. I think Squirrels have eaten every Sunflower I managed to grow.
     
  9. adam.ca

    adam.ca In Flower

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    i set out a trap last night, nothing so far.
     
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  10. Growingpains

    Growingpains Young Pine

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    Adam, I hesitated to click "Like". What did you use for bait? If you know the entrance to the tunnel, the trap should be placed near and in his path if possible. Even so, they are Wiley creatures.
     
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  11. adam.ca

    adam.ca In Flower

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    lettuce and pieces of carrots, I should probably sweeten the deal. its placed close to his hole, like 2 feet away.
     
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2019
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  12. Dirtmechanic

    Dirtmechanic Young Pine

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    I read that apple is good bait.
     
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  13. Growingpains

    Growingpains Young Pine

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    Adam, I hope shortly to read here that your groundhog has
    been transported. :fingerscrossed:
     
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  14. Dirtmechanic

    Dirtmechanic Young Pine

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    Lets agree that this is a most practical link. They are very edible but I admit I find rodentia more akin to dark meat. Sometimes, like beaver, its in a preserved or pickled state, even smoked like beaver hams might be treated. I remember a snowmobile trip from my youth across Lake Illianmna in Alaska where we carried the smoked beaver hams. It was appropriate in our environment and tasty for our encampment dinner.

    LINK
     
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2019
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  15. Growingpains

    Growingpains Young Pine

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    Very interesting, Dirtmechanic. We like to think we would never eat them, but in dire circumstances, we never know.
     
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  16. Dirtmechanic

    Dirtmechanic Young Pine

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    I know they would taste better than black bear. But that is not saying much.
     
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