Keeping wildlife out of your home, garden, and away from pets or livestock requires a combination of physical barriers, deterrents, and habitat management. Here are some effective strategies and specific products to help you achieve this:

🏡 Protecting Your Home

  1. Seal Entry Points: Inspect your home for gaps or holes, especially around the roofline, vents, and foundation. Use materials like steel mesh or hardware cloth to seal these openings.

  2. Secure Trash and Compost: Use wildlife-resistant trash cans with tight-fitting lids. For compost, consider enclosed bins to prevent attracting animals.

  3. Motion-Activated Lights: Install motion-activated lights around your property to deter nocturnal animals like raccoons and skunks.

🌿 Safeguarding Your Garden

  1. Fencing: Erect fences appropriate for the wildlife in your area. For deer, fences should be at least 8 feet tall. To deter burrowing animals like groundhogs, bury the fence at least 12 inches underground.

  2. Plant Selection: Incorporate plants that are unappealing to wildlife. For instance, deer tend to avoid aromatic herbs like lavender and mint.

  3. Repellents: Use repellents to deter animals:

    • Bonide Repels-All Animal Repellent: This ready-to-use spray deters a wide range of animals including deer and rabbits.

    • RepelsAl from Amazon

    • Predator urine- wildlife hates the smell of your urine (you figure out how to make that happen).

🐾 Protecting Pets and Livestock

1. Supervised Outdoor Time: Always supervise your pets when they’re outside, especially during dawn and dusk when predators are most active.

2. Protective Gear: Equip your pets with protective gear like the CoyoteVest, which is designed to protect small dogs from predators.

🛡️ Additional Tips

  • Essential Oils: Scents like peppermint and eucalyptus can deter rodents and other pests. Soak cotton balls in essential oils and place them around entry points.

  • Predator Urine: Products containing predator urine can create the illusion of predators nearby, deterring animals like deer and rabbits.

  • Ultrasonic Repellents: Devices emitting ultrasonic sounds can deter various pests without harming them.

Implementing a combination of these strategies will provide a comprehensive approach to keeping wildlife away from your home, garden, and animals.