Wildlife Damage Prevention - Marion County
How to Prevent Wildlife Damage
By Steve Mayer
Extension Educator-Horticulture
Purdue Extension-Marion County
Animals can be among the most difficult pests for gardeners to control. Food may become scarce in the dormant season and animals may turn to your plants for a tasty meal. However, there are some things you can do to help protect your plants from animals.
Habitat modification is one important principle for wildlife damage management. It is geared toward making the environment less attractive to wildlife.
Removing vegetative cover is an example of habitat modification. This means getting rid of brush, lumber and rock piles. Store your firewood at least 12 inches off the ground and away from the house.
Keep mowing your grass at a 3-inch cutting height until the grass stops growing. Reduce mulch thickness if needed and provide at least 8 inches of ground clearance beneath shrubs.
Good sanitation is another important principle to help manage wildlife damage. This helps reduce the availability of food that attracts wildlife. Place all garbage in animal-proof containers and limit access by wildlife.
Do not allow extra food to remain available after your outdoor pet has finished eating. Consider selecting horticultural plants that are more resistant to animal damage. Plant lists are available for deer and rabbits.
The principle of exclusion is one of the best techniques for preventing some wildlife damage. Install a fence around gardens or valuable plants and screen your compost pile to prevent access.
Plant repellents provide another means of control, and they can be successful in certain situations. Most repellents keep animals away by taste and/or smell. They often need to be frequently reapplied.
Read the product label to see what animals are repelled. Avoid illegal animal repellents such as moth balls. If one repellent does not work, try a product with a different active ingredient. None provide absolute protection.
Try to use repellents only on plants that are most important to protect. If you use a repellent on all your plants, it will make everything smell or taste the same. If an animal is hungry and only has access to plants that taste bad, it may resort to eating everything regardless of taste.
Trapping is the best solution for some animals like moles. Consult the law before taking action. A summary is found in Purdue publication FNR-FAQ-16, Animal Damage Management-Rules and Regulations in Indiana.
Voles (meadow mice) can severely damage or kill woody plants during the winter. One of the best ways to manage them is to keep weeds, dense brush and grass away from tree trunks and shrub stems. Do not allow mulch to touch the trunk or stems.
Cylindrical tree guards made from one-quarter inch hardware cloth can also be used as a barrier around tree trunks to exclude voles. Place the bottom of the guard 6 inches below the soil surface and the top should be above the anticipated snowline. Rodent repellents and mouse traps are other options for voles.
Chipmunks, tree squirrels, voles and other rodents may eat flowering bulbs. Hardware cloth (1/4-inch) may be used to exclude them. Lay it on top of the ground after planting and cover lightly with soil. It is best to remove the screen before significant bulb foliage emerges. However, with a wider opening like chicken wire, some people have success leaving the screen and allowing the foliage to grow up through it.
Other rodent control methods for bulbs include: planting bulbs they do not like (daffodils), cleaning up planting debris, habitat modification, applying new mulch only after the ground surface freezes, using a repellent, providing alternative food, and trapping some rodents.
Rabbits can girdle trees or shrubs a few inches above ground or higher, depending on the snow level. Exposed roots may also be eaten. Rabbits clip young plants or small twigs off cleanly, leaving a smooth 45-degree angle cut.
Control methods for rabbits include exclusion (fencing or other barrier), live trapping, use of repellents and habitat modification. Fencing can be one-quarter inch hardware cloth or 1-inch chicken wire. Bury the fence 4 inches deep. It should be 2-3 feet tall above the expected snow depth.
Deer can be a problem in some areas. If practical, eliminate deer damage with fencing. They often can be discouraged by removing supplemental food sources and using repellents. Reapply repellents as needed, alternating with a different product.
Questions
Q. How can I receive more information on how to deal with nuisance wildlife?
A. Contact the Indiana Wildlife Conflicts Information Hotline. Indiana residents can call this toll free telephone number: 1-800-893-4116. Additional information on the subject is found here.
Steve Mayer is Extension Educator-Horticulture with Purdue Extension-Marion County. He coordinates the Master Gardener program in Marion County. To contact a Master Gardener, call (317) 275-9292, or e-mail: marionmg@purdue.edu
Photo Credit: Steve Mayer
Photo Content: Rabbits can severely damage trees and shrubs by their feeding.
Purdue University, Indiana Counties and U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating. An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution.
November 2004
