Warding off animal damage

Lucky, our English Springer Spaniel has taught us many life lessons. Her perseverance regarding chasing squirrels is unmatched. The sliding glass door in our kitchen looks out onto our back yard. Each time she sees a squirrel, we let her out, and she runs full force towards the agile rodent and almost catches it. Almost, being the key word. Not once in the 8 years that she has been doing this has she actually caught a squirrel. Her tenacity is something we all marvel at. Selfishly, I wish she would start catching a few of those squirrels.

Squirrels, in addition to rabbits, deer and voles can cause havoc to plants in our yards. Listed below is a rundown of animal damage that I generally see in the area.

Squirrels: They can dig up spring blooming bulbs. To protect your bulbs, dip them in a liquid animal repellent product such as Repels-All prior to planting them. Keeping tree branches trimmed well away from your home will help to prevent squirrels from jumping on your roof.

Rabbits: I tend to see the most substantial rabbit damage in the early spring. During the winter rabbits eat the branches of deciduous and evergreen shrubs. The tell tale signs of rabbit damage include the ends of the branches being ‘cut’ at 45 degree angle and a portion of the gnawed off branches directly underneath the shrub that it came from. Rabbit pellets are also frequently visible in the area where the damage occurred. To minimize the amount of damage that occurs, consider a multi-faceted approach. Basically, over time, you are trying to train the rabbits to eat somewhere else. This is generally done by discouraging them through their sense of smell or taste. Homemade remedies and commercially manufactured animal repellent products are available. Homemade animal repellents include human hair, chili seeds, Irish spring soap, and mothballs. Commercially made products include Repellex and Repels-All. Whatever you use, make sure to change it up frequently and continue to apply these products over a longer period of time. Also make sure to follow all label directions. Sometimes habits are hard to change.

Voles: Voles tend to do the most damage during the winter while the lawn is covered with snow. The damage isn’t visible until the spring. Voles tunnel through the lawn, just under the surface eating the roots. They also gnaw on the bark of trees or plant crowns. To prevent the damage, apply a product such as Molemax. It is a Mole and Vole repellent. It is available in a hose end sprayer that you simply hook up to your hose and apply according to the package directions.

Deer: While I don’t see deer damage frequently, when I do see it is can be very severe. During the fall rutting season, deer can rub up against a tree. The damage is generally about 3-4’ off the ground. If the damage is deep enough, it can kill the tree. Depending on the size of the tree, plastic drain tile, slit down the middle and carefully put around the trunk can effectively protect the bark during the fall months. I have also seen deer damage to evergreen shrubs during the winter. A liquid animal repellent product applied to the leaves may deter them.

Burrowing animals: Frequently, I see evidence of an animal burrowing underneath the front porch stoop or by the patio. It seems like no matter what is used to fill up the hole, the animal simply digs it out again. If you are sure there is no animal in the hole, then consider using steel wool to fill it up. Depending on the severity of the damage, you may want to contact an Animal Removal Company.

Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or tgsinc12@msn.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She will address it in an upcoming column.

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