Wildlife Barriers
On this page find the easiest and most-common ways to stop animals and birds from damaging growing vegetables in a home vegetable garden, including:
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- Animal problems in home vegetable gardens.
- Barriers to burrowing pests such as moles, voles, gophers, and ground squirrels.
- Fences to exclude animal pests such as deer, raccoons, opossums, dogs, and cats.
- Netting as a barrier to fruit- and foliage-eating birds.
Protecting Vegetables from Animals
Take steps to deny animal pests access to your vegetable garden by erecting barriers and fences.
Without them, rodents, burrowing animals, birds, and deer view tender plants and ripening fruit in your vegetable garden as a buffet table set for them to eat.
Deer and Large Mammal Pests
Large mammals, such as deer, can empty a garden of its plants in an evening.
Block deer from gaining access to your vegetable plants.
Erect a single tall fence at least 10 ft. (3 m) high around the garden’s edge, or build paired parallel, shorter fences, each 6 ft. (1.8 m) tall and 4–6 ft. (1.2–1.8 m) apart that span a distance too wide for deer to jump. Choose from many materials, including wire mesh, vinyl or wooden pickets, woven willow, or bamboo canes.
Deer-exclusion fences are highly effective barriers.
Burrowing Animal Pests
It is easier to stop gophers, moles, and other burrowing animals. Bury galvanized wire mesh fabric along each edge of your garden plot, at least 18 in. (45 cm) down into the soil. Fit wire mesh to protect the bottom of your raised beds before you fill them with soil.
Birds and Small Animal Pests
Prevent birds, rabbits, and other browsers from feeding on your tender seedlings. Cover plantings with a V-shaped arch of wire fabric. The plants will grow right through the fabric, or you can remove the arch once the plants are established.
Erecting barriers and fences denies animal pests access to your vegetable garden.
Vegetable Protection Options
Pest pressure and experience guides most gardeners as they protect their vegetables from large and small animal and bird pests.
Exclusion with special fencing is the only certain way of preventing large animals such as deer, elk, and moose from eating an entire garden in a single meal.
For smaller animals and birds, the following show examples of ways to project vegetables from damage.