Question for the gardeners here

wishiwaspreggo · July 2018

I was on vacation for a while and when I came back I noticed my tomato plants looked like they were cut down a bit. I realize it's because an animal (my guess, a deer) has been munching on the foliage. I am most displeased as I worked hard to build this garden and tomatoes were *just* starting to bud on the plants. Oh, and he ate my sweet pepper plant down to the main stem

I laid some black netting over the plants and it seems to have helped but now I'm worried the leaves aren't getting enough sun.

Anyone have any effective deer repellents to recommend? I'm getting my cat groomed and I was thinking about keeping the fur to set tufts of it around the plants to maybe scare them away... the smell of a predator, even a tiny adorable one, may make them nervous, right?

galactickates · July 2018

I thought that flashing tape was for deer, I was going to suggest it, but it's for birds. While I was looking i found a deer spray, I think it shoots water at them to scare them. Bonus it would water your tomato plant lol

Hoont Powerful Outdoor Water Jet Blaster Animal Pest Repeller – Motion Activated Sprinkler Pest Control Repellent - Blasts Cats, Dogs, Squirrels, Birds, Deer, Etc. Out of Your Property [UPGRADED] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078RBYWJ5/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_oTMrBbK19JSB3

cjx95 · July 2018

We have to put up a mesh fence around our garden to keep our cats from using it like a litter box.. that's always an option

holly321 · July 2018

We have never had a deer issue (giant dog probably helps) so I an not sure if this would help with deer specifically but, I have had success with spraying plants with watered down dish soap keeping pests away. Sorry about your garden, I hope you still are able to enjoy your veggies.

*side note, a few years back, I had a ton of hot peppers growing, then suddenly they were gone. We assumed a certain neighbor stole them and were pretty mad, then I caught my ducks eating them!

hestia-is-wearie · July 2018

I like to use Messina Deer Stopper on my plants. It seems to work well and actually smells nice, unlike those other rotten-egg spray repellents. If you have a trellis or cage, I recommend spraying whatever repellent you’re using on a paper towel, then rubbing it on the trellis/cage. Maybe try planting flowers/herbs that deer don’t like around your garden: the deer in my area never touch my lavender, for example, so they might avoid stuff planted close to it.
Sorry to hear about your plants! I live in an area with tons of deer too. I finally gave up on bell peppers this year because that seems to be their favorite food.

galactickates · July 2018

We just had a mole move in... we have 4 mole hills my H keeps stamping back down. How do you get rid of those little vermin? We have two doxies... you'd think mole control would be in their job description, but my H doesn't want to teach them there is a mole there because he's afraid they'll dig up the yard looking for it. Then we'll just be making the problem worse lol

wishiwaspreggo · July 2018

Thanks, everyone! I’m gonna look into that spray thing, that sounds awesome! @hestia14 thanks for the brand recommendation - there are tons of sprays and it’s good to know what worked for someone else.

@galactickates we have a mole problem too

I use Tom Cat poison worms. Wear latex gloves when you handle them and keep your pups inside while you bait the tunnels. All you do is cut the worms in half (you only need a little) and then locate the tunnel by finding the mound and gently poking around the sides. When you find the entry, slip the worm as deep as it will go in the tunnel and then cover with dirt. Do this for every mound. Over time, they find the worms and you’ll see fewer hills but the problem is more will come and take their place. Just stay on top of it and you’ll be fine.

My coworker suggested sitting on a lawn chair sipping a beer and weilding an axe. When you see the mole surface, chop them. I was tempted, I’ll admit, but my wife talked me out of it!

galactickates · July 2018

@wishiwaspreggo - my H ordered one trap but i'm pretty freaked with putting it in the back yard with our dogs back there. He was going to cover it with a gardening container with bricks on top... but idk.. our doxies are pretty inquisitive. The worm idea is great! I'll mention it!

nmbrcrnchr1 · July 2018

@galactickates we’ve used something similar to this. We had dogs, they didn’t bother it....not sure if yours would. I also understand this is not a humane trap and I apologize for that....but we seriously have a major mole problem here!

lurvleybunchococonuts · July 2018

@wishiwaspreggo another option is if you drink coffee save your used coffee grounds and then sprinkle them on and around the plants. Also pretty much anything you use will need to be reapplied. Cat hair actually might work as well. Depends on how accustomed to people the animal is.

galactickates · July 2018

@nmbrcrnchr1 those are the kind my Hs parents have. Their neighbor has a shot gun trap... so I think we're doing pretty good with the bloodless one my H ordered

we have no idea if it will work though. I think the trap you sent me might be the next thing we try. We've got 4 huge mounds in our back yard. Our back yard isn't even that big and we're in the middle of a suburb. I have never had a mole problem in my life. This is new territory for me

wishiwaspreggo · July 2018

@nmbrcrnchr1 - I'm normally a bleeding heart type that avoids stepping on ants on the sidewalk but when it comes to those mole mofos all compassion flies out the window for me. I hate them with a passion. It makes mowing the lawn even harder than usual and it's just so ugly! I've been working so, so hard on my yard and garden and then those blind, ugly little jerks dig their way around and ruin my grass.

If you can't control moles through home improvement store methods then you can always call an exterminator. There's a guy in my area who will do a season of moles for $150. I haven't resorted to that yet but if I manage to get my weed situation under control enough to where my yard finally looks like a green, grassy paradise then I'll probably give him a call. It's gonna take a long time because I'm trying to repair decades worth of neglect.

cjx95 · July 2018

I never realized how bad the moles were until we started letting my cat out. He leaves a minimum of 2 a week by the front door to show off to us

so I suggest getting a cat lol I've heard sprinkling red pepper flakes around their tunnels, or cayenne pepper

wishiwaspreggo · July 2018

@mamabearcj - I have a cat but she's worthless! We were in the living room and saw a mouse run out from under the couch and she was laying on her back, watching it scuttle around the room. W and I were shouting at her to catch it but she didn't care. Our dachshund came to the rescue. He tracked its scent and cornered it so we could catch it and put it outside.

I'd set my dachshund out there to take care of the problem (I think they're bred to hunt underground critters) but he's very old (turning 15 this month) and he's paralyzed, blind, deaf, and even his sense of smell is failing so... he's basically on hospice now $:\$

prpl11butterfly · July 2018

Mole problems here too! My neighbors cats are always outside and we still have issues. They are annoying little critters.

jrm_14 · July 2018

For moles, we use a spray you hook up to your hose & put on your lawn. You have to wait for it to dry before animals go on it. I believe most of them treat for grub worms, which is what moles tend to eat.

We use whatever brand the store happens to have in stock or on sale.

galactickates · July 2018

Jrm_14 you had me until you got to the worms. We really need our worms right now to break down the thick layer of hay our landscaping is sitting on and help with the soil. That's good to know for future use though

nmbrcrnchr1 · July 2018

So after this mole discussion it got me thinking “I haven’t seen any this year” and I was so excited thinking they found someone else’s yard to invade....mowed last night bc DH is working out of town and found a huge mole trail in our front yard

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