I think chicken wire is probably your best bet, especially since as you said, you want it to be easily removable once you site your more permanent bed locations.

I have a similar amount of wildlife and it's an ongoing battle. Some years I have no damage, and some years some critter decides my veggies are its personal salad bar. This year I'm putting in 8 new raised beds that are 14" tall, which should help with some of the smaller critters (and it's in a fenced area to keep out the deer and larger animals).

I'm trying to decide which would be worse, having cattle stampede through your garden like at the old house, or having it nibbled away by rabbits. :)

I do eventually want permanent raised beds. Hopefully I will not only get some veggies for myself this year, but will also learn some about my critter neighbors so I can plan the beds right the first time.

I did start seeds indoors this weekend. I figured I'd have no chance direct sowing, even though that's what I prefer, with all the birds and squirrels around.

Question about the chicken wire ... are the holes small enough to keep out moles & voles if you place it on the ground and then build a raised bed on top of it ? Or would you need something like hardware cloth ? Would prefer chicken wire if it would work as it is much less expensive.

You have three choices: electric fence, electric fence, and electric fence. Typically, two wires on the perimeter, a few inches above the edge of the beds and several inches above. The dog will learn to avoid it. Make it so that you can activate or disactivate a higher wire in case deer show up. Don't get the smallest fence either. 2000V is where you want to be.

I prefer to keep it off and activate it when I see a break in. You can advertise it to the local critters in a hurry by dropping some fish guts inside the perimeter, or putting peanut butter on the wire, as soon as it is ready. They are all terrified by it, and one experience keeps a single animal (or a deer herd) away for years. After a few days, you can turn it off.

I had an electric fence (sized for horses) before and it did squat. I think the animals just learned to avoid the wires.

But more importantly, I don't have power anywhere nearby.

Angela, maybe 1/2" chicken wire will keep moles and voles out? I am sure the big 1" stuff would not.

I feel your pain. This is a battle I have fought for years. At first I thought it was just the rabbits. After alot of work keeping them out, I realized it was also the squirrels and quail. Chicken wire fences won't stop them. This year over raised beds I plan on covering the peas and green beans with hoop houses of chicken wire. I hope it works. We also fenced the entire back area so the dog is out there more, I think that helps. When I brush her I do it out in the garden area, leave the hair, hoping it will scare off some critters. I also have a few items that move alot in the wind, large 3"x8" fishing lures that I got at a yard sale. I don't know if they help scare animals away but they spin and flash pretty nicely in the wind.

The strand-tape electric fencing just doesn't work very well for the smaller animals -- consider electric MESH fencing. Set it up with a solar charger and battery.

If you're going with a solid or wire perimeter fence, get some 3' welded wire mesh fencing, bend it lengthwise to form a long L, and fasten the upper part to the existing fence and let the lower part of the L sit on the ground. For some reason, animals always want to dig right where the fence meets the ground, and they hit the wire. I've never heard of an animal that thought of backing up and going under the wire.

Also with the sold or wire fence, dogs and coyotes will jump/climb it. Make the posts taller than the fence and stretch fairly heavy wire between the posts, and thread it through lengths of cheap PVC plastic pipe (the narrow stuff is fine). When a dog or coyote tries to jump it, they hook their feet on the top, and the rolling pipe just rolls and dumps them back on the ground.

No wire mesh, even galvanized, is going to last many years under a bed, so allow for that.

Sue

Good idea, Sue with the electric mesh and the solar charger. That's probably a project for the permanent bed location instead of this year.

(You don't happen to have a Belgian Shepherd, do you?)

spogarden, several years ago I had a small patio and I used large mesh bird netting to cover the whole thing to keep cats out. Bees would not fly through the mesh for some reason, even though they could fit. I had to hand pollinate everything that year. YMMV, but I would keep an eye out. The sturdier wire mesh might be more acceptable to them.

I think I will use welded wire fencing for the perimeter, and then 36" wide 1/2" chicken wire (or hardware cloth if I can't find 1/2") for the base and buried "L" portion. That won't keep out determined squirrels nor birds, but it might give my stuff a fighting chance this year.

alabamanicole

You might take a look at this pest-repellent for critters that approach your garden from land-side, though you'll apparently need the small mesh under your beds for tunnelers. It is battery-operated.

Just another possibility.

Moles and voles can go through 1" mesh easily. 1/2" or 3/8" will keep them out.

Cages!

They won't keep out the underground critters - but most everything above ground.

You're probably thinking of just digging a nice garden out in the open - with a critter-proof fence all around the perimeter. How I would love that myself! Unfortunately, I live on the edge of a canyon wildlife preserve - Whose inhabitants visits my place almost nightly. You'd think with all that lovely preserve to play in, that they'd leave me alone!

However, because of the steepness of the canyon and sloping terrain, it is impossible for a fence to be placed.

I would definitely opt for a cage or two. As long as you are going with raised beds eventually, I think it would be less expensive to begin with them anyway.

A nice bed made of 1 x 6 cedar board x 2 (stacked) x 8 to 10 ft. long, will grow a lot of stuff. You are thinking of purchasing wire, etc., so the hardware cloth would be the easiest - stretched around some PVC pipe formed into a cage to place inside the box. I guarantee that it will deter most any of the "guests" you mentioned - especially with a wire across the top (birds) - so that leaves ants, aphis and cabbage moth as just about your only invaders. Some Remay cloth stretched over the frame would stop that gap somewhat too.

Sorry - if I'm not sounding too optimistic about perimeter fencing, but "been there" "done that" "doesn't work" as I recall, especially if you have that many "interested" visitors, as you mention.

Bejay