Our yard has become a veritable wildlife sanctuary in the past few years. We have moles destroying the lawn, rabbits eating the shrubs, birds eating our cherries, a possum living under our deck, deer grazing everywhere, and a very stubborn groundhog eating our little ornamental trees!!! Mind you, they aren't eating anything yet this year because nothing has started growing yet, but I want to try to head it off at the pass if at all possible. The past couple of years it has gotten so bad. At the far end of our lot (and by "far" I mean 150 feet from the house) we have a small woods and a creek, so the animals just love our neighborhood. We have a fence around our main yard but it doesn't have any effect anymore. All the little guys get under it and the deer jump over it. I know about all the various recipes, sprays, and remedies, but at this point there are so many different pests that I'm wondering if it might just be easier to get a big outdoor cat??? I know it wouldn't help with the deer, but maybe it would discourage the other small animals. Has anyone tried this?
Singer, we have 2 outdoor cats. They help with the rabbits, groundhogs, chipmunks, mice and shrews but don't seem interested in the moles (our biggest yard destroyer). Unfortunately, the cats like birds too. The opposum doesn't even mind our dog much less the cats, it'll come in and curl up in the garage for a nap if I leave the door open. However, the dog does keep the deer away (at least 75 yards anyway) and helps with the rabbits and woodchucks as well. If I could, I would get a fox - I hear they're pretty good at mole eradication. :) Best of luck!
We use a large live trap w/ extreme re-location for the racoons. I don't know what to suggest for the skunks - I wouldn't want one in my live trap though!
I've done the same with the raccoons in the past when I trapped them. If you release them nearby....they will track back easily. You have to drive them out atleast 70 km's...in my own opinion.
@RaeFae, I love birds, but in this case I wouldn't mind the cat chasing the birds away too, because the birds eat our cherries and pears!! ha ha
I love birds too but this male Robin keeps bashing his body up against my window (yup, it's a mess) trying to fight w/ himself. Bam, bam, bam . . . all day! Where are those cats when I need them?!? Try hanging those shiny balloons in your fruit trees. Or tinsel streamers. My husband's father's an orchard grower and that helps, at least in the blueberries and cherries.
As for the robin banging himself against the window - dirty windows are good for preventing reflections when the male robins are "defending" their territory (or seek an alternative method for reducing reflectivity)
At last, a valid excuse for the state of my windows, apart from laziness, thank you! Surplus CDs and DVDs are supposed to deter birds from vegetable plots, apparently they don't like the flashes of light as they turn in the wind.
