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Should I worry about Armadillos, O'pussums & Racoons?

14 years ago

Sorry guys, I am a first time gardener. I want to plant vegetable seeds and being from the city life before we moved here I have never dealt with these critters.

Will they dig up and eat my seeds? Will they eat my vegetables when they come in?

What should I do about keeping them away that won't break the bank or my back?

Thanks so much.

Halime

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Comments (7)

expresshost
14 years ago
Hi Halime,

I would not worry about the seed to much,...crows and squirrels may go after the seed. Raccoons and others with go after your plants.

I have a had great success using Danger Zone to keep the critters at bay. Good luck with your garden

Here is a link that might be useful: Danger Zone Repellent
brownthumb65
Original Author
14 years ago
WOW! Very interesting. Question for you, because I did not see this information listed on the product page.
How far apart do you "scent" stuff?

I see it says to apply to rocks and fences or they also supply wood shims, but how far apart do you need to do this?

How long does the scent last before you have to re-apply?
Sorry for all the questions, just wondering if I should order one or two?
The area that needs protection is approx. 25 yards x 25 yards.

Thanks!
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weatherl
14 years ago
Does that stuff use real animal urine or synthetic stuff? "Predator urine" is usually from fur factory farms, where animals are imprisoned for life in tiny cages, and are only let out when it's time to kill them. People who kill animals for their pelts are most interested in how to preserve the fur, leading to methods such as anal electrocution (ouch). Not a business I recommend supporting. Anecdotes on the effectiveness of bottled urine from tortured animals, human urine from volunteers, human hair, etc vary a lot.

If the animals in your area are a problem, a permanent solution is a fence for land animals, but I don't know the size of your bank. There are all sorts of repellents you can use for various species, many very cheap and "broad spectrum." As far as I know, most scent repellents don't work on birds. Visual and auditory repellents are generally better.

Around here, I don't do anything about the birds. They don't eat enough seed to make it a problem. Plenty are left in the ground after they're done.

I plan on moving and haven't bothered with a fence here. Our yard gets some visitors but the cats and escaped neighbors' dogs do far more damage than the wildlife. Still, in total, only a small fraction of a percent of my plants have been damaged by birds and mammals.

Sources like the HSUS have advice for dealing with wildlife causing problems for humans, including specific types of repellents. Examples:

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/raccoons/tips/solving_problems_raccoon.html

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/crows/tips/solving_problems_crows.html

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/opossums/tips/solving_problems_opossums_2.html

I'll include a link to their page "Top Ten Problems with Our Wild Neighbors" which I found helpful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Top Ten Problems with Our Wild Neighbors
Kimmsr
14 years ago
I've not seen that spraying a predators urine around actually does much to deter unwanted things such as Rabbits, Squirrels, or much of anything else. If those predators are around there will urine everywhere and the speices of animals will be on the look out for them but if they do not see them will go where they can to eat, even if the area is sprayed.
The most effective means of control I have found over the years is a good, tight fence, and that is also the least expensive although initial outlay can be costly.
expresshost
14 years ago
Its not a urine and says all natural that I am aware of, it works and I spread it out about every ten feet. It applies like a deodorant stick. Have not had any problems with animals since....works on the the dog next door from using my yard as a dumping ground too.
expresshost
14 years ago
Sorry....I re-apply about once a week and with your area....one stick should be enough.
brownthumb65
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you!

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