fencing against burrowing animals

19 years ago

does anyone know how to install L-shaped fencing wire below ground to repel burrowing animals like groundhogs from entering the veg. garden? i've heard that you can dig around the outside perimeter of the garden fence and bury additional fencing, bent at a 90 degree angle away from the garden so that any animal trying to get in will be blocked by the fence. what i want to know is, to what depth below the soil line do i need to extend the fence vertically, and how far out horizontally from the fence does it need to go? and, does this really work?

thanks,

debbie

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

Kimmsr
19 years ago
That pretty much depends on which animal you want to keep out since different ones dig to different depths. The usual method is to dig a trench 1 foot deep and 1 foot wide and put the fence fabric, bent into that backwards "L", into that trench. A fence fabric with a 2 x 4 mesh would keep out a gopher but not moles or voles so that too is determined by which animal you want to keep out.
dadgardens
19 years ago
Egg,

I agree with Kims description of underground fencing ( mine is under whole veggie garden (16 yr old son helped a lot!)), but I will also add to it. If Groundhogs (woodchucks) are the primary culprtit (varmint), then you want to add an overhang at the top of the fencing too, g'hogs are great climbers, and will climb over the top of a straight fence.
Related Discussions
Best bets for broad-spectrum critter fencing
Q
Comments (11)
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
...See More
fencing questions - materials for basic fence?
Q
Comments (16)
It actually was not complete in this picture. The fence is in the mountains in Los Gatos Ca.. Lots of wildlife and a lot of deer. See how the posts are extended in the picture, 2' above the top rails (2x4s) we installed black vinyl barb-less wire every foot to the top which is 8'. I do not have a picture of when we finished that part of this fence as I just looked. Here is some information that is interesting: we could have run the wire 3' above the solid Howard wire fence. A deer will not jump through an opening. Ill attach a pic of a true deer fence. 8' is the magic number. I build a lot of vineyard fences and deer will get over a 7' fence if they see something that looks tasty. A true deer fence galvanized is what is called graduated wire. The holes on the bottom are 2x4"s and as it gets higher the hole size graduates to 3"x 3" the 5"x 5"s. And you dig down about 6"s and bury the wire in the ground. A trick I picked up in the hole we cut the wire on the bottom of the fence every few inches and pull it away from the fence in the hole. It keeps rabbits and other critters from digging. Once they hit the sharp side of the wire they give up fast. It really does work. The bottom pic is another fence with barb-less wire on top. Dogs will not jump that fence with the barb-less wire and a squirrel, well as you know a squirrel can get into about anything it wants. Their squirrely..lol. When you see an animal climbing across a telephone wire....they go where they want. There is another method for keeping squirrels out but its not a fence. This is a 6' welded wire fence to keep dogs and small animals in or out. But deer will jump it with ease. The fence below has barb-less wire as the first fence had. Click on the picture to see the barb-less wire. By extending the tops 2" you can turn a 6' horse fence into an 8' deer fence. Using welded wire as shown in another post on top. As for snakes the only thing I have find that works in the 30 years is snake wire. Thanks for pointing that out in the pic. Have a wonderful life!
...See More
Dead animal smell but no animal
Q
Comments (14)
@Greatlakesmower, you are a genius! We had exactly the same problem, and it went on for years - a bad smell in a closet, that would come and go. There would be nothing for months or even a year and then, bam, dead animal smell again. I was up in the attic over the closet several times, and nothing. It happened again today and my wife thought to Google it and found your post. We realized that the smell isn't really dead animal (though it's close) - it's actually drywall patch compound that's getting heated up by the bulb! That stuff has a mild smell at room temperature, but it turns out when it gets hot, it's disgusting. We had a 100 watt incandescent bulb in the closet light fixture and swapped it out for a CFL. We're waiting for the smell to dissipate now, but we think our problem is solved, thank you!!!
...See More
Would this deter animals? What would?
Q
Comments (15)
Dear friends, thank you so much for your continued, kind and thoughtful support. Still giving thought to the fence idea, my husband does not want to make such a fast decision on this. But he does see my plight. We are kind of helpless if these animals keep coming mercilessly by night and by day. I was going into a panic buying mode and thanks to your differing and experienced input I am going about it more circumspectly. One of the areas I am growing will not be fence-ble and I will have to find an alternate method for that zone. bcomplx and exmar: Thank you! I looked up the sprinkler system. It looks like a very good idea. Some say it is a little flimsy and a lot of additional plumbing (washers, gaskets) is necessary to secure leaks. Did you find this to be true? Would I need to do that? There is another brand, orbit : http://www.amazon.com/Orbit-62100-Enforcer-Activated-Sprinkler/dp/B009F1R0GC/ref=pd_sim_86_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1KH10HRMMNPYZMFQ6493 Some say the orbit is a little sturdier and comes with a built in timer. This should work too right? And at what height would you stand it for skunks and raccoons? I wouldn't want water to miss them. I will return the above gizmos, I think they won't work. Thanks for that advice. Lot of you are trapping the animals. I wouldn't know how to that. And even if I learned, what would I do if I caught any???? We are not allowed to kill anything other than mice and rats where I am. And this morning I see squirrels have started going for the eggplants and few remaining peppers. WHAT do I DO?? Thanks, K.
...See More
tetrazzini
Original Author
19 years ago
dadgardens,
how is the fencing placed under the garden? to what depth, and how did you do it? have you had problems with froundhogs and has this stopped it? i'm also in the hudson valley.
thanks,
egg
dadgardens
19 years ago
egg,

My biggest problem is with the deer( 18- 30), but the groundhogs(2-8) are a close second.

My 17 yr old son helped me dig up a 4' section of the garden about 18" down and then we placed the wire mesh, and covered it with the soil we had moved. We then dug up the next 4' stretch layed the mesh and covered it, third 4' width was the same. We used 6' foot fencing (2" by 4") for the vertical (above ground) fence, and bent the top 6" down to parallel the ground, veggie garden looks like moderate security prison (not maximum-no razor wire) if you are up close, but the green plastic covered mesh is nearly invisible at 75'.
Yes, we stopped the groundhog, but only after bending the top of the fence outwards horizontally, the fat demonspawn did climb it before that (twice!).

I had tried using a shallower, underground layer of fencing outside the raised bed, but he just dug a longer tunnel; he wanted my veggies and was willing to work hard to get them.

As an aid toward keeping deer out - the garden has internal fencing (trellis' and beanpoles) which seem to deter Bambi's kin- - - they don't seem to like narrow spaces, if they have to jump in, beanpoles help by providing more "clutter" for their eyes to deal with.

One other unusual use for fencing (hardware cloth actually 1/2" by 1/2" mesh), involves burying it an inch or two above crocuse bulbs (or other small bulbs) that are attractive to chipmunks/squirrels/other rodents.

Don
tetrazzini
Original Author
16 years ago
to follow up, i installed a 1" mesh fence 1' below ground, and 1' bent outward into an L shape. i did this two summers ago, and it's been great. no animals have breached it, and i haven't lost anything i've planted. the fence is 3' above ground, attached to my 2"x4" main fence, which is 6 ' tall. it was much easier to do than i'd feared.

fencing against burrowing animals

Comments (5)

Kimmsr

dadgardens

Related Discussions

tetrazzini
Original Author

dadgardens

tetrazzini
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

fencing against burrowing animals

Comments (5)

Kimmsr

dadgardens

Related Discussions

tetrazziniOriginal Author

dadgardens

tetrazziniOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

tetrazzini
Original Author

tetrazzini
Original Author