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FENCING
Fencing is the only sure-fire way to keep wild and
domestic animals out of a prized garden. Although it can be expensive to keep
out large animals, such as deer, it may be the only way to protect your yard
from costly damage. Here are some points to keep in mind:
- Check local ordinances on building fences. Large
fences may block desired views or violate codes.
- Lightweight fencing is less obtrusive than solid
fencing, but provides protection only from certain animals.
- Fences work best when the animal doesn't know what
it's protecting. A hungry animal that knows food is available will try
harder to get through any fence. Solid fences provide a visual block so they
don’t know what they're missing.
- Electric fences are
more expensive and need maintenance, but they make less of an impact on your
view and can be more effective than solid fences.
- Electric fences work best if animals know they are
"hot". Smear peanut butter on the fence as soon as you put it up to entice
animals to get shocked. They'll be less likely to test the fence again. Keep
vegetation from touching the fence. It will reduce its charge or
ground it out.
- Build the fence to fit the animal. Below is a list of
animals with design tips to foil them.
Deer
Deer are probably tops on the list of many homeowners. Because deer can
jump, the fence needs to be constructed high and at an angle to deter them.
There are many design variations for deer barriers available from game wardens.
One effective option is an 8- to 10-foot-tall fence slanted at a 45 degree angle
in the direction deer are most likely to come. It will make them think twice
about jumping. Keep the fence snug to the ground, because deer can also wiggle
under fences.
Electric fences baited with peanut butter and solid fences
that block the view to a food source also work well.
Cats and Dogs
Build a wire mesh fence 3-feet high anchored with sturdy posts. Cats
probably won't climb over, and most dogs can't knock it over. Bend the base of
the fence outward to form a 2-foot wide apron along the ground to discourage
dogs from digging under it.
How to stop wandering dogs.
Rabbit
Exclude rabbits with a 2-foot-tall chicken wire fence that has 1-inch
diameter holes. To prevent them from digging under, curve the bottom of the
fence 90 degrees to create an apron a foot or so wide, and bury it several
inches deep.
Woodchuck
Like raccoons and opossums, woodchucks are good climbers, so any fence will
have to be unattached at the top 18 inches or have electric wire strung across
the top to discourage these pests. The 4-foot tall fence should also have a
2-foot wide apron buried a few inches below the soil to stop them from burrowing
under the fence. Electric fence placed a few inches outside a wire fence also
helps.
Tunneling Pests: Gophers, Chipmunks, Moles, etc.
These subterranean travelers have the advantage of being out of sight most
of the time, and can do their dirty work of munching your plants undetected. In
winter, they move beneath the snow and gnaw the bark off young tree trunks, and
you often don’t discover the damage until spring. If your garden is plagued by
any of these tunneling creatures, you can create cages or baskets to protect
prized plants. Dig a 2- to 3-foot deep hole in the planting area and line the
sides and bottom of the bed with wire mesh. Replace the soil and plant your
garden.
Protect tree trunks with wire mesh guards placed a few
inches below the soil line and 2 feet up the trunk. Check the guards in the
spring and fall, adjusting them to make room for tree growth and to be sure they
are securely fastened.
Raccoon & Opossum
These animals dig and climb, so this fence needs a floppy top and a barrier
to digging. A 4-foot fence with the top 18 inches unattached will fall back on
the climbing creature, keeping it from scaling the fence. To prevent them from
tunneling under, curve the bottom of the fence 90 degrees to create a 2-foot
wide apron, and bury it several inches deep. Placing and electric wire on top of
a 3- to 4- foot-tall fence will also work.
Raccoons and opossums don't like material that clings to
their feet, so draping bird netting on the ground outside of the fence and
keeping the grass mowed may also deter them.
Coyote
Start with a perimeter electric fence. Add a sheep fence with another
electric fence wire strung 8 inches off the ground and a few inches in front of
the sheep fence. Since coyotes can jump, add an electric wire on top of the
sheep fence as well.
Bear
Bears can easily maul most fences, but they can be discouraged from entering
an area they haven't explored yet. Since they don't like walking over chicken
wire, lay a 3- to 4-foot wide swath of it on the ground and secure it well. Keep
the area mowed. Electric fencing is effective if bears encounter the hot fence
before they know about the food source on the other side
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